PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - I have talked about it before but it is very important. As more people are diagnosed with diabetes, there is a major issue in medicine: Trying to motivate people to take ownership of their condition and aggressively attack it to prevent long-term problems like kidney and heart disease. My feeling is there are several key things that you can do to help when you are dealing with diabetes.

The first thing is to realize that diabetes is not a cause of adult blindness, kidney failure, and amputation. That’s right. It’s poorly controlled diabetes that’s the problem. If you keep it in check, there is reason for hope.

Also, make a partnership with your doctor. You need someone to talk to who can understand your condition. If he or she does not help, find someone who can.

Another key point; make certain you see your eye doctor each year, have a foot exam annually, and talk with your doctor about urine screening and a test called the hemoglobin a1c, which can help monitor how you’re doing.

Reported By Dr. Brian McDonough, KYW Newsradio Medical Editor