The Uphill Battle to Control Diabetes

by KYW's medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough

There is so much talk about diabetes and the fact that the number of cases is on the rise and there is no doubt that it is a condition that needs to be taken quite seriously as a long term threat for an increased risk of heart disease and stroke as well as kidney, vision and nerve damage.

One of the keys to fighting diabetes is tight control of the blood sugar--making certain that it does not get out of hand, especially for long periods of time. Of course the most consistent tool in controlling blood sugar is the finger stick technique which has been around for forty years. It allows careful monitoring. But the finger stick only provides a momentary glimpse at what is happening--it does not give an overview about how well the sugar is being controlled.

This can be done by the hemoglobin a-1-c which allows for a measurement of how well the sugar is controlled over time. Hgb a-1-c is being used more and more as a key tool in the battle.