Take Control of Your Diabetes With Bayer A1CNow SelfCheck TestPOSTED: April 12, 2010 at 5:15 pm BY: Jack - Editor |
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Take Control of Your Diabetes
23.7 million Americans currently live with diabetes, and that number is expected to nearly double over the next 25 years. A lot has changed since the early twentieth century, when diabetes was a clear death sentence. An extraordinary discovery in 1921 held out the first hope for treatment - insulin. Over the past ninety years, diabetes treatment has advanced by leaps and bounds as more effective types of insulin were developed and disposable syringes, glucose meters and pumps became available. Famous actors, musicians, political leaders and sports stars with diabetes clearly demonstrate that diabetes does not need to hold anyone back.
Still, living with diabetes isn’t always easy, even in 2010. If you are like many other Americans with diabetes, controlling your blood glucose levels might be a difficult challenge for you. Is it really that important? The famous Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, conducted between 1983 and 1993, proved that people who kept their blood glucose levels low had a much smaller chance of developing complications like eye, kidney and nerve disease. For pregnant women, controlling blood glucose levels is even more important. If the mother’s blood glucose levels are too high, especially in early pregnancy, her baby has a much higher chance of serious birth defects.
Standard blood glucose testing tells you how much sugar is in your blood when you take the test. But it doesn’t provide an overall indication of your blood glucose control. A1C testing is the gold standard for measuring long-term blood glucose levels. A1C levels indicate the average blood glucose levels over the past 2 to 3 months. Your physician may do this test for you periodically during office visits.
Now, you can take control. With Bayer's A1CNow SelfCheck you can test your A1C level in the privacy and comfort of your own home. The easy-to-use test provides fast results and is as accurate as the test your doctor uses. A1C testing should be used in addition to regular blood glucose monitoring and visits to your doctor.
Available for under $30, the A1CNow SelfCheck won’t put a big dent in your pocket. Compare that to the more invasive continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGMS) which go for at least $1000, not to mention the disposable sensors, which will cost you an additional $10 each day!
3 Great Reasons to Check Your A1C with A1CNow® SelfCheck:
- Protect your health
Lowering your A1C by even one point translates into a big advantage – a 40% reduction in your risk for serious diabetes-related complications. Avoid potential problems such as blindness, kidney disease, nerve disease, and amputations.
- Determine how well you are managing your diabetes
Even if you see your doctor regularly, checking your A1C in between doctor visits can let you know if changes in your diet, exercise, and medication are helping or hurting your efforts to maintain low blood glucose levels. An A1C level above 7 percent might indicate that you need to work with your doctor to adjust your diet or medication to better control your blood glucose levels.
- Find out when it’s safe to get pregnant
If you are thinking about trying to have a baby, you can test your A1C every 2-4 weeks to see if your glucose control is improving, staying the same, or getting worse. Poorly controlled diabetes can cause serious birth defects in the first few weeks of pregnancy, before some women even know they are expecting. An A1C of 7 percent or below means you have no increased risk of having a baby with a birth defect. But the risk increases with higher A1C levels. An A1C of 11 percent or above means there is a 25%, or a 1 in 4 chance, of birth defects. Check your A1C, and talk to your doctor if you have any concerns before you get pregnant.
Your health is too precious to lose. Take the next step in managing your diabetes and preventing devastating complications by monitoring your A1C levels.
