What can I do to manage my condition?

Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can lead to eye disease, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease.

You may need to change your eating and exercise habits and/or take pills to keep your blood pressure below 130/80 mm Hg.

Healthy Eating
Ask your doctor to refer you to a registered dietitian to learn about healthy eating.

Physical Activity
Both aerobic and resistance exercise are important for people living with diabetes. If you have diabetes, you should do at least 150 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise per week. In addition, resistance exercise (such as weight training) should be performed 3 times per week. If you are just starting to be active, check with your doctor first.

Cholesterol
High cholesterol and other fats in the blood can lead to heart disease and stroke. You may need to change your eating and exercise habits and/or take pills to keep your blood fats at healthy levels.

Weight
Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight will help you control your blood glucose, blood pressure and blood fat levels.

Eye Disease
You need to be seen by an eye care specialist who will dilate your pupils and check for signs of eye disease. Diabetic eye disease refers to a group of eye problems that people with diabetes may face as a complication of diabetes. All can cause severe vision loss or even blindness. Your regular doctor cannot do this special test in his or her office.

Foot Care
Take off your shoes and socks at every visit (even if your doctor or healthcare team forget to ask you). Tell your doctor right away about any foot problems. Your doctor should do a complete foot exam every year because if you have diabetes and your blood glucose stays high, foot problems can lead to infections.

Depression and Anxiety
These are common feelings in people with diabetes and can negatively affect your diabetes control. Speak to your doctor or healthcare team if you feel you might have depression or anxiety.

Smoking
Smoking is bad for everyone. It increases your risk for lung cancer, heart attack and stroke, and each year, 45,000 Canadians die of smoking-related illnesses. But people with diabetes face an even greater risk from smoking: just like high blood glucose levels, the noxious chemicals in cigarette smoke attack blood vessels, accelerating atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and impairing the blood