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For Healthcare Professionals

This section contains information specifically for healthcare professionals that have an interest in Diabetes. To access this area you must be registered on this site and be logged in.

Services for Professionals

Under 18?

This section is for under 18's and contains a great interactive tool to help you and your family learn more about diabetes.

Managing Diabetes

- The interactive web tool for children and families. It may be helpful to look at this section with your parents at first.

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Managing Diabetes Complications

father and daughter at computer

As you may already know, controlling your blood glucose is important for avoiding hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia—blood glucose lows and highs.

By keeping your blood glucose level in your target range, you may delay or prevent long-term complications. High blood glucose levels can damage many parts of your body, including your eyes, heart and toes. The good news is that you, along with your healthcare professional, may be able to lessen the impact of diabetes complications on your life.

This section list some of the more common diabetes-related complications, their symptoms and treatments, and some steps your healthcare professional may recommend to help reduce your risk.

Kidney Disease

Doctor with patient

Kidneys filter your blood through millions of blood vessels and then dispose of body waste in your urine. Diabetes can damage these small blood vessels, making it hard for the kidneys to filter your waste.

As a result, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure. About 30% of people with type 1 diabetes and 10%–40% of those with type 2 diabetes will eventually have kidney disease, or nephropathy.1

Smoking, uncontrolled blood glucose, or high blood pressure, may increase the risk of kidney disease. Having a family member with kidney disease also increases the risk of developing kidney disease.

Detecting Diabetic Nephropathy

While there are no early symptoms of kidney damage, your healthcare professional can test for it.

Your healthcare professional will check your urine for a protein called albumin. This screening can detect nephropathy in its early stages, when treatment can slow or even prevent progression of the disease. If you have diabetes and are between the ages of 12 and 70, you should have a urine protein test at least once a year.2

Prevention and Care

  • Keep your blood glucose levels close to normal range. Discuss your target range with your healthcare professional.
  • Lower your blood pressure, if it is high. Discuss your normal range and how to treat high blood pressure with your healthcare professional. Medications such as ACE inhibitors may both effectively lower blood pressure and protect the kidneys.
  • Reduce the protein in your urine. If you have protein in your urine, discuss how to treat it—whether through medication or by limiting protein in your meals—with your healthcare professional.
  • Stop smoking. Smoking increases your risk of kidney damage.

1 National Kidney Foundation. Diabetes and kidney disease. Available at: http://www.kidney.org/atoz/atozItem.cfm?id=37. Accessed October 16, 2008.
2 National Kidney Foundation. Microalbuminuria in diabetic kidney disease. Available at: http://www.kidney.org/news/newsroom/fs_new/microalbindbkd.cfm. Accessed October 16, 2008.

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Imagine Complete Diabetes Management that Fits in the Palm of Your Hand. A state-of-the-art system that partners a “smart” blood glucose meter with a reliable insulin pump to bring you a new level of freedom and flexibility.
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Hungry to learn more about food and nutrition that’s just right for you? We have loads of great recipes, meal planning options to suit your needs and your everyday eating plan. Ask our “Expert”!

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Are you ready to pump?

Adults and children alike are realizing the benefits of insulin pump therapy. Use this interactive tool to discover what pump therapy can do for you.

This website contains information on products which are targeted to a wide range of audiences and could contain product details or information otherwise not accessible or valid in your country. Please be aware that we do not take any responsibility for accessing such information which may not comply with any valid legal process, regulation, registration or usage in the country of your origin. For people with diabetes. Use only as directed. See your healthcare professional for medical advice.