Most people who are diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes are
told at some point about the long-term damage diabetes can do,
such as causing heart attack and stroke, blindness, kidney
disease, and limb amputations. Unfortunately, too few are also
told that all of these complications are largely preventable —
through a combination of healthy lifestyle practices, frequent
checkups and laboratory tests for screening and monitoring, and
medication when necessary. This may sound like a long list of
things to do, but it may be simpler than you think — if you
focus your efforts on the areas that will have the most impact
for you. Understanding and monitoring the big picture of your
overall health with diabetes can be achieved by keeping tabs on
five simple medical tests: HbA1c, blood pressure, blood lipids
(cholesterol and triglycerides), microalbumin, and a dilated eye
exam. These tests are currently the best measures available to
indicate each person’s individual health risks with regard to
diabetes. Yet despite