 [ Symptoms ] how can i manage my diabetes in order to prevent heart disease [ Disease ] to make sure your diabetes treatment is working experts recommend following the abcs a1c this is a blood test that provides a rough assessment of blood sugar control for the previous three months an a1c level less than 7 is ideal for most people with diabetes blood pressure most people with diabetes should maintain a blood pressure below 130 over 80 cholesterol an ldl less than 100 and an hdl greater than 40 are the goals for most people with diabetes if you smoke and have diabetes it is time to quit set a quit date and talk to your doctor and do not be discouraged if you have tried to quit before but did not succeed new treatments can increase your chances of quitting for good nearly everyone with diabetes can benefit from increasing physical activity going for a daily walk is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce your risk for heart disease exercise also helps keep blood sugar under better control some people with diabetes should take a daily aspirin to protect against heart disease your doctor can tell you if daily aspirin is right for you