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April 9, 2013

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Question from Florence, Kentucky, USA:

If a person has not taken care of, by that, I mean never really trying to keep the best control of, their type 1 diabetes for over 30 years, is it ever too late to start taking responsibility for it?

Answer:

From: DTeam Staff

No. This is where it is very important to meet with your doctor and obtain a complete history and physical with laboratory tests. Make sure you get your eyes checked. Discuss blood sugar goals and be ready to monitor your sugar for results. There are benefits that can occur immediately with better blood sugar. Immediate benefits include effects on symptoms of hyperglycemia, such as less urination at night, better protein balance and less weight loss, improved sense of well-being, and more energy. How much this benefits your overall risk for microvascular complications (including neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy) is dependent on cumulative exposure to hyperglycemia (how high and for how long). Whatever you do, do not risk frequent hypoglycemia after long-term poor control, as this has been shown to be associated with heart problems in patients with type 2 diabetes. It is better to have a stair-step decline in your blood sugars, as opposed to bringing them down rapidly.

JTL