The A1C is a blood test done by your doctor that measures the average of your blood sugar for a two to three month period. This test along with daily monitoring of your blood sugar is the best way to know how well controlled your diabetes is. A normal A1C is 4-6% for the person without diabetes. For people with diabetes:

• Good control is measured at 6-7%, which is equal to an average daily blood sugar of 150-180.
• A need to make changes is measured at 7-8%.
• A potential danger is measured above 8%. This level is equal to a daily average blood sugar of over 200. It is now outdated information to say that keeping the blood sugar around 200 is okay: you are causing damage to your body at this level.

This test should be done every six months if you are in good control and every three months if you are not in good control of your diabetes.

High blood pressure (hypertension) often occurs with diabetes. With diabetes, your blood pressure should be less than 130/80. If your blood pressure is higher than this, you may be damaging many of your body's organs.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made in the liver and found in certain foods, such as food from animals, like dairy products, eggs, and meat. People with diabetes should have their blood cholesterol checked at least once every year. Since having diabetes already puts you at risk for heart disease, it's especially important to keep your cholesterol levels in check. Your overall cholesterol level needs to be under 200, but more important are your numbers for the two types of cholesterol:

• Low density lipoproteins (LDL): LDL, also called "bad" cholesterol, can cause buildup of plaque on the walls of arteries. The more LDL there is in the blood, the greater the risk of heart disease.
• High density lipoproteins (HDL): HDL, also called "good" cholesterol, helps the body get rid of bad cholesterol in the blood. The higher the level of HDL cholesterol, the better. If your levels of HDL are low, your risk of heart disease increases.