Home | About Us | Locate A Store | Current Flyer | Wellbeing Information | Work With Us | Recipes

~ Return to Nutter's Diabetes Living Information Home Page ~ People with diabetes should have regular exams to help find and treat diabetes problems. All diabetes problems have effective treatments. Routine checking for long-term complications can help detect problems at a time when they can be treated and managed successfully. The physical examination and laboratory tests that identify early complications include: At each diabetes visit: Blood pressure Weight check Foot check Annually: Lipid profile (every 2 years in normal)* Dilated eye examination by a competent professional for detecting retinal and other eye complications (if normal, an eye care specialist may advise an exam every 2 to 3 years) A physical examination for detecting nerve damage Comprehensive foot exam to identify high risk feet (by checking circulation, loss of feeling, sores, or changes in shape) Serum creatinine and urinalysis for protein, microalbumin, albumin-to-creatinine ratio to detect kidney disease Twice each year: A1C (quarterly if patient is not meeting goals) Dental exams to prevent gum disease and loss of teeth Vaccinations: Influenza (annually) Pneumoccal (usually only once, repeat if over 64 or immunocompromised and last vaccination was more than 5 years ago) Diabetes complications usually can be prevented or delayed if found and treated at an early stage. Progression of cardiovascular disease leading to heart attack and stroke can be slowed or prevented by rigorous management of blood pressure and lipids. Diabetic kidney disease can be slowed or prevented by controlling blood pressure and blood glucose. Severe eye disease can be successfully treated by laser therapy. Circulatory complications in the legs, heart, or brain may be improved by treatment, including vascular surgery. These examples show the importance of treating long-term complications at any stage of diabetes. * What is a lipid profile? The lipid profile is a group of tests that are often ordered together to determine risk of coronary heart disease. The tests that make up a lipid profile are tests that have been shown to be good indicators of whether someone is likely to have a heart attack or stroke caused by blockage of blood vessels (hardening of the arteries). The lipid profile includes total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol (often called good cholesterol), LDL-cholesterol (often called bad cholesterol), and triglycerides. Sometimes the report will include additional calculated values such as the Cholesterol/HDL ratio or a risk score based on lipid profile results, age, sex, and other risk factors. Easy steps increase daily activity! Put away that remote control - get up to change the TV channel and stretch during commercial breaks. Run downstairs and put in a load of laundry or wash a pot instead of watching the commercial. Walk around the house while you talk on the phone to increase your daily number of steps if you are wearing a step counter. To take more steps, park the car farther away from the store or mall. If it is safe, get off the bus or train one stop early. Suggestions made by Nutter’s Bulk & Natural Foods, and the contents of this article, are recommendations only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical advice, nor a replacement for prescriptions. Always seek medical advice for any health concerns from a qualified medical health care professional before using any recommendations contained in Nutter's articles.

Nutter's Bulk & Natural Foods 107, 1601 Dunmore Road SE., Medicine Hat, AB T1A 1Z8 (403) 529-1664 Locate A Store