To control blood glucose, don’t stop at drugs

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Blood glucose control isn’t an easy task, but it is a crucial one -- and, even if it seems like a hassle now, will pay off down the road.

As the Associated Press and other outlets report: ‘Diabetics who tightly control their blood sugar -- even if only for the first decade after they are diagnosed -- have lower risks of heart attack, death and other complications 10 or more years later.’

The story is based on a new study, published online today and available in full from the New England Journal of Medicine, that focused on diabetes patients who used either dietary measures or medications to control their disease. It came down rather firmly on the side of the drugs, in this case sulfonylurea and, for overweight patients, metformin.

The American Diabetes Assn. offers practical and easily understood information on the broad categories of drugs, while explaining how they work and for whom they’re most effective. The Food and Drug Administration offers information too, but it’s a bit less accessible.

But even though the drugs’ effectiveness can’t be questioned, that’s not to say that diet and lifestyle don’t play a role. They do -- very much so.

To ensure you’re getting the most from the medications and thus controlling blood glucose as effectively as possible, start with this primer from MedlinePlus, which offers broad overviews of diabetes as well as tutorials and specific information for children and seniors. And take a quick glance at this chart from WebMD, suggesting what an appropriate blood glucose level would be at various times of the day.

Decide on the drugs and glucose monitors with a physician, and then focus on what you can do:

There’s diet:

From the American Diabetes Assn.’s nutrition overview: ‘By eating well-balanced meals in the correct amounts, you can keep your blood glucose level as close to normal (non-diabetes level) as possible.’ Details and recipes follow.

From the Mayo Clinic’s diabetes diet plan: ‘Your diabetes diet is simply a healthy-eating plan that will help you control your blood sugar. Here’s help getting started, from meal planning to exchange lists and counting carbohydrates.’

And then there’s exercise:

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers quick highlights on the topic, as does the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with its roundup of advice.

And then there’s the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse, part of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. It includes information not just on eating and lifestyle and blood glucose monitors -- but on paying for diabetes care.

Lest you still think exercise and diabetes are mutually exclusive, hear what Jay Hewitt has to say on his blog. He’s an Ironman triathlete, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes more than 15 years ago. No one’s saying you have to get quite that active.

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: A blood sample is prepared for Type 2 diabetes testing.