Over 20 million Americans have diabetes and almost one-third are not aware that they have it. Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to heart disease, kidney failure, leg infections, and other serious health problems. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of blindness in the United States.

By following the steps below and working with your healthcare team, you can prevent or control diabetes and even reduce your risk of long-term complications.


What About Low-Carb Diets?
What's the Role of Fiber?
I. Understanding Your Diabetes
Step 1: What is diabetes?
Step 2: Who gets type 2 diabetes?
Step 3: How do you know if you have diabetes?
II. Managing Your Diabetes
Step 4: You're in charge - design a treatment plan
Step 5: Monitor your blood sugar
Step 6: Lose weight and follow the right diet
Step 7: Exercise
Step 8: Drugs and insulin
III. Knowing the Consequences of Diabetes
Step 9: Treat low blood sugar
Step 10: Avoid long-term complications

Learn More

Are you overweight?

Counting carbohydrates

Gestational diabetes

Glycemic index

How to read a food label

Keeping track of your medications

Metabolic syndrome

Sweeteners and sugar substitutes

The Mediterranean diet

Type 2 diabetes drug index

Types of insulin


Helpful Handouts

Emergency warning signs

Calorie and fiber charts

Track your weight-loss goals


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Review Date: 7/8/2012
Reviewed By: Nancy J. Rennert, MD, Chief of Endocrinology & Diabetes, Norwalk Hospital, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Previoulsy reviewed by Ari S. Eckman, MD, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. (5/13/2010)
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