Diabetics: help your doctor to fight against the complications

To avoid complications, the diabetic patient should be monitored but also monitor the quality of its medical care, according to Dr. Emmanuel Cosson, diabetologist at the Jean Verdier Hospital, Bondy, who was speaking at! Salon du diabetes organized by the French Association of Diabetics in Paris.

The right attitude

The right attitude against complications is first well balanced diabetes and then monitor the first signs of each complication (cardiovascular, kidney, nerve, retinal) to treat when it is too late.

This monitoring is theoretically organized by the attending physician, but in practice it is clear that this is not always the case. This is why Dr. Cosson offers the patient to be an actor monitoring.

"You are more numerous and doctors less, do not hesitate to help your doctor pointing out that it has been over a year since you have not had any examinations for the eyes , heart, kidneys, etc., "he advised.

Balancing Diabetes

For good diabetes control, a diabetic must every day self-discipline, his fingertip blood glucose (blood sugar) before meals and 2 hours after 1:30. Objective: avoid as much yo-yo measures and achieve an HbA1c, a measure of average blood sugar over three months, less than 6.5%.

"It has been proven that such decrease of 1% in HbA1c possible to reduce by 30% the complications of small vessels and 15% those of the great arteries," said Dr. Cosson.

Monitor complications

In parallel, we must watch for the appearance of complications and reduce the risk factors, including stopping smoking, even to gain weight because it has been proven that smoking was more dangerous to the heart than a few extra pounds and monitor tension, hypertension is dangerous to the heart as to the kidneys and eyes.

Program a diabetic each year: an electro-cardiogram, a fundus examination, a blood test for lipid (cholesterol and triglycerides) and measurement of creatinine (reflecting renal function) , a urine measuring microalbuminuria (other reflecting renal function) and a foot examination to test their sensitivity using a monofilament.

Added to this is the extent of HbA1c every three months and monitoring of weight and blood pressure at each visit.

The aim is on the one hand to maintain a less than 6.5% HbA1c, second tension in the range of 13/8, 5, finally, a bad cholesterol (LDL) below 1.3 g / L and a triglyceride level of less than 1.5 g / L.

Then, at the first sign of a complication, consider a specific additional treatment.

In this battle against complications, diabetic patient is not alone. "Many people are there to help throughout the course of his illness," said Dr. Cosson. Doctors, dieticians, physiotherapists, psychologists, nurses, podiatrists, not to mention the associations and networks.