Tools for Life.
Blood sugar basics.
OneTouch, Ultra, Ultra2, and UltraMini are registered trademarks, and Delica and DoubleSure are trademarks, of LifeScan, Inc.
© 2011 LifeScan, Inc. Milpitas, CA 95035 3/11 AW 3035565A
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You have a life.
It’s rich with variety, joys, and accomplishments. You also have
diabetes. So we’re here to keep you doing what it is you do best
by helping you stay healthy. This booklet can help you understand
why blood sugar is important, how to know what’s going on with
your blood sugar, and smart ways to make all this new stuff
fit the way you live now.
Stay connected at OneTouchDiabetes.com
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220—
180—
Keeping
an eye on your
blood sugar.
Testing with a meter at key times
is an easy way to see:
• If your food and activity choices
are working to keep your blood
sugar in range—or not
• How well diabetes medications
are working to keep your blood
130—
sugar in control
• How illness and emotions, like
stress, affect your blood sugar
100—
70—
45—
mg/dL
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Diabetes is diagnosed when your blood
sugar is too high. Did you know your blood
153
195
sugar level changes throughout the day?
Knowing if your blood sugar is high or low,
It’s affected by food, activity, medication,
and why, means you can take action to
and other factors, like stress. To reduce the
risk of serious complications, the goal of all
help get it back in range.
104
103
diabetes treatment is to keep your blood
Knowing that your blood sugar is in range
sugar in a healthy range—not too high and
lets you get on with what you do best.
not too low.
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What happens
after you’re diagnosed?
Diabetes test
Why?
How often?
Goals
A1C test
(glycosylated
hemoglobin test)
To check your
long-term blood
sugar control
At least 2 to 4 times
a year
<7%*
Complete foot exam
To check for sores or
infections
Every office visit
Daily at home
Healthy tissue and
normal circulation*
Blood pressure
A blood pressure
reading above 130/80
should be treated
Every visit
<130/80 mm Hg
Lipid profile
High amounts of
bad cholesterol (LDL),
low amounts of good
cholesterol (HDL),
and other lipids in
your blood may
increase your risk
of heart disease
At least once a year
LDL*
<100 mg/dL†
To check for early
signs of kidney
problems
At least once a year
To check for changes
in blood vessels in
your retina
At least once a year
Kidney function
Once you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, your healthcare
professional may arrange several diabetes tests. If you haven’t
had these tests or don’t understand what the results mean,
be sure to raise the subject at your next office visit.
Dilated eye exam
Triglycerides*
<150 mg/dL
HDL*
Women >50 mg/dL;
Men >40 mg/dL
Total cholesterol
<200 mg/dL
Microalbumin
Normal
Serum creatinine
Normal
Normal*
*American Diabetes Association. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes – 2011. Diabetes Care. 2011;34(suppl 1):S11-S61.
†<70 mg/dL for individuals with heart disease.
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How blood sugar
testing fits in.
Poor
Your healthcare professional uses an A1C test to see what
your average blood sugar level has been over the past 2 to
3 months. But your A1C result does not show the daily effects
of food choices and activity.
A1C
Average
blood sugar
12
298
11
269
10
240
Testing with a meter is the best way to see
This chart shows how your A1C result
is linked to blood sugar levels.*†
If your A1C goal is 7%, your average
blood sugar is around 154 mg/dL.
But A1C and blood sugar averages do not
reflect changes in blood sugar throughout
the day. That’s why regular testing with a
the immediate effects of factors like food
9
212
8
183
meter is recommended.
choices on your blood sugar, so you can take
action to bring high or low blood sugar back
into range. Your healthcare professional also
7
relies on these results to assess your individual
GOAL
154
need for treatment adjustments.
Good
6
126
%
mg/dL
7% is the recommended A1C goal
for most people with diabetes.
*B ased on plasma glucose. If your meter measures whole blood, average blood
sugar numbers may differ.
†A merican Diabetes Association. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes – 2011.
Diabetes Care. 2011;34(suppl 1):S11-S61.
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Taking an active role.
These goals are recommended for most people with diabetes.* Check with
your healthcare professional for the target range that’s best for you.
There’s a big difference between
testing because you know you should
ONETOUCH ® | MY BLOOD SUGAR RECORD
Blood sugar test results
Before meals
1–2 hours
after start of meals
Guidelines
70–130 mg/dL*†
Less than 180 mg/dL*†
My current readings
mg/dL
mg/dL
Don’t
just test.
Test smart.
and testing because you know why
you should.
Testing smart means testing at key
times to see how well things like your
food choices, activity, and medications
A1C
Guidelines
My current reading
If your A1C is 7% or higher,
Less than 7%*†
%
ask your healthcare
professional what you
can do to lower it.
are working to keep your blood sugar
in range. Then acting on your results to
bring high and low results into range.
Follow your healthcare professional’s
recommendations for testing.
Stay connected at OneTouchDiabetes.com
*American Diabetes Association. Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes – 2011. Diabetes Care. 2011;34(suppl 1):S11-S61.
†Per ADA Guidelines, this is the goal for people with diabetes, so it may take some time for you to get there.
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Of all the things that affect your blood sugar, food has the biggest effect.
Especially foods with carbohydrates (carbs, for short). Your body uses carbs
for energy, but they raise your blood sugar higher and faster than other kinds
of food. What’s more, diabetes is different for everyone, including the way
various foods affect your blood sugar. So, the goal is to plan meals with the
right portions of carbs for your body.
Good food? Good health?
Testing smart can
help you have it all.
You’ll soon discover that keeping your blood sugar in range doesn’t have to be
boring or keep you from eating the foods you love. You’ll have new freedom to
create exciting menus that you can share and enjoy.
Carbohydrates are in starchy food, grains,
fruit, milk products, and sweets.
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Using test results to adjust
food and portion choices.
Try testing around a meal.
Testing before meals can help guide
12
your food choices. For example, a high
9
result before a meal may encourage you to
plan a meal with smaller carbohydrate portions.
A test 1–2 hours after the beginning of a meal
3
6
1
Test before a meal.*
2
Test 1–2 hours
after starting a meal.
shows the effect of your food and portion
choices on your blood sugar. Here’s an
easy way to see if the food and portion
choices at your next meal keep
your blood sugar in range.
If your after-meal test result is more than 50 mg/dL higher than your
before-meal result, next time try eating a smaller portion of carbs.
You’ll soon learn what foods and portions keep you in range so you
can make choices that are right for you.
Use the worksheets on page 17 to see if your food and
portion choices keep your blood sugar in range.
*Follow the recommendations of your healthcare professional for testing.
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ONETOUCH®
M E A LT I M E W O R K S H E E T
ONETOUCH®
M E A LT I M E W O R K S H E E T
X
Test before and after a meal:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Try testing
before and after
your next meal.
Test before and after a meal:
Breakfast
Lunch
ONETOUCH®
M E A LT I M E W O R K S H E E T
Test before and after a meal:
Dinner
What I ate/how much:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
What I ate/how much:
What I ate/how much:
Coffee, hard-boiled egg,
2 slices toast with butter,
glass orange juice
Record your test results and what you eat. (See
the example to the left.) It will show you if your
food and portion choices are working and help
Before-meal result:
1–2 hours after
start of meal:
104
158
______mg/dL
______mg/dL
your blood sugar in target range. Follow your
______mg/dL
1–2 hours after
start of meal:
______mg/dL
______mg/dL
______mg/dL
Difference between results?
Above 50 mg/dL
At or below 50 mg/dL
Comment:
Comment:
Oops! No orange juice
next time.
Before-meal result:
healthcare professional’s recommendations
Difference between results?
Above 50 mg/dL
1–2 hours after
start of meal:
you consider what adjustments may help keep
for testing.
X
Before-meal result:
At or below 50 mg/dL
Difference between results?
Above 50 mg/dL
At or below 50 mg/dL
Comment:
Try it yourself.
For more information, tips, and activities like this, check out
your Tools for Life “Meal and snack planning workbook.”
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Getting started
Thirty minutes of activity most days of the week
will help get your blood sugar in shape. Talk to
your healthcare professional before you begin an
activity or program. Find an activity you enjoy,
so you can stick with it. For example, walking at
Exercise your right
to feel great!
a brisk clip is popular because it’s easy on your
joints and you don’t need any fancy equipment.
What’s walking briskly? When your heart beats
faster and you breathe deeper than usual.
Wear shoes that fit well
and natural fiber socks.
Keep your OneTouch
Meter close by.
®
Keep a carbohydrate
snack or glucose chew
tabs with you.
The proven positive effects of physical activity can’t be overstated. On top
Not keen on walking? Try riding a bike or check
of all the health benefits you may know of, like building up your heart health,
your local YMCA for aquatic programs. Even
getting more activity is a great way for people with diabetes to help improve
household chores like raking leaves, vacuuming,
or washing the car count as activity. Keep track of
their blood sugar control. Activity boosts your body’s ability to use the insulin
your active time and you’ll be surprised how easy
it makes, which helps lower blood sugar.
it is to fit 30 minutes (or more) into your days.
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Key times to test
when you’re active.*
Try testing before and after a brisk 20- to 30-minute walk.
O N E TO U CH ® | AC TIVIT Y WO R K S H E E T
Before
After
BEFORE YOU START
Your body uses up blood sugar when you’re active, so it’s important
Result:
to make sure your blood sugar isn’t low before starting an activity.
• Look for a result higher than 100 mg/dL.
• If it’s lower, eat a carbohydrate snack before you start.
WHEN YOU FINISH
Did your activity lower your blood sugar?
TO PLAN YOUR NEXT ACTIVITY
Use your results to refine your activity plan. For example, you may want
____________________mg/dL
Before walking
I felt:
My test result was:
____________________mg/dL
After walking
I felt:
My test result was:
Good
High
Better
High
Okay
In range
Good
In range
Sluggish
Low
Okay
Low
Edgy
Sluggish
Other
Edgy
to increase or decrease the length of time or intensity of your activity.
As you become more active, your blood sugar may become more
Result:
Other
Comment:
responsive to activity. So keep it up!
TIP
If your energy level isn’t all it should be,
talk to your healthcare professional.
Learn
more at OneTouchDiabetes.com
*F ollow your healthcare professional’s recommendations for testing.
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Test smart to see the
effects of medication.
take when you visit your healthcare
recommend the best times to test
professional. This is your time to ask
your blood sugar to see how well your
questions about your medications,
medication is working. Be sure to keep
including how they work and how they
detailed records of your results and your
make you feel. You can also ask for help
medication schedule.
with things like ways to remember to take
• Track changes
• Fine-tune your medication
doses
• Switch your medication
that’s more effective for you
can be prescribed alone or in combination with other pills or
insulin. Generally, medications work to keep blood sugar in
control, for example, after meals or through the night.
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your medications on time.
professional:
dosage, if necessary, to one
There are many different kinds of diabetes medications that
Be sure to bring all medications you
Your healthcare professional will
Your results will help your healthcare
When medications
are working properly,
you feel better.
Partner with your healthcare professional.
Here are some important things
you should know about all the
medications you are taking:
• Medication name and dosage
• Times you should take your medication
• How the medication works and why you
are taking it
Learn
more at OneTouchDiabetes.com
• Possible side effects of the medication
• What to do if you forget to take your
medication dose at the prescribed time
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How does stress affect your blood sugar?
Knowing if stress raises your blood sugar
will help you know what to do to correct
the situation. When your blood sugar is
Emotions, such as excitement, anger, fear,
or a shock, are powerful forces. In fact,
they can, depending on the individual,
Stay
in touch
with your
feelings.
cause blood sugar to rise. Stressful
situations can also make it hard to keep
your blood sugar in range.
back in range, there’s a good chance you’ll
feel more like yourself.
• High result? A walk around the block
may lower your blood sugar.
Stay on top of highs when you feel sick.
With diabetes, common illnesses can bring
on more than sniffles or a fever. They may
cause high blood sugar. If you feel ill:
High or low blood sugar might be the
reason for an unexplained mood change.
It may also be why you can’t concentrate
or why you feel tired.
• Test according to your healthcare
cause high blood sugar.
TIP
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effects of stress and illness:
When you (or those around you)
sense a change in the way you feel
or act, test to see if your blood sugar
is out of range.
professional’s recommendations.
• Try to take your medications
even if you don’t feel like eating.
• If you can’t eat solid foods,
drink plenty of fluids every hour.
Any type of illness, even a cold, can also
Testing to understand the
• Ask your healthcare professional for
hen you’re sick, it’s recommended
W
that you test at least every 2 to 4
hours. And follow the advice of your
healthcare professional.
Learn
more at OneTouchDiabetes.com
other sick day guidelines.
Ask friends and family to tell you if they
notice a change in your mood.
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There are lots of
good reasons to
choose OneTouch®.
The OneTouch® Ultra®2 Meter. A fast, simple
way to see the effect of food on your blood
sugar results.
It uses OneTouch® Ultra® Blue Test Strips, so
you can be DoubleSure™ of your test result.
The OneTouch® UltraMini® Meter. A simple
way to check your blood sugar. Available in
6 cool colors.
The OneTouch® Delica Lancing System.
™
More comfortable testing.*
It uses OneTouch® Ultra® Blue Test Strips, so
you can be DoubleSure™ of your test result.
The thinnest needle
from OneTouch®
OneTouch® Ultra® Blue Test Strips with
DoubleSure™ Technology. They automatically
check each blood sample not once, but twice,
so you can be DoubleSure™ of your result.
Stay connected with OneTouchDiabetes.com.
For more tools, diabetes information, and
updates, plus OneTouch® Product News and
Offers, be sure to visit OneTouchDiabetes.com.
™
*Response from study subjects when asked to compare the OneTouch Delica Lancing System with their current lancing system.
®
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™
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