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Expert says managing blood sugar is one of the keys to living longer

Category: Diabetes

Paying attention to HbA1c test scores may be one of the best ways for diabetics to reduce their chances of developing heart and heart disease increase their life expectancy, according to one expert.

Dr. Clyde Yancy, a professor at Northwestern University who will deliver an address at the Canadian Cardiovascular Conference, said that managing blood sugar levels is a critical step for preventing cardiovascular complications. This may help diabetics live longer lives.

In addition to managing blood sugar level, Yancy said people should focus on exercising, eating right, tracking cholesterol and blood pressure, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking. Taken together, these lifestyles factors may lead to significantly longer lives.

"Achieving these seven simple lifestyle factors gives people a 90 percent chance of living to the age of 90 or 100, free of not only heart disease and stroke but from a number of other chronic illnesses including cancer," Yancy said.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among diabetics. Working to improve cardiovascular health may be the single most important thing diabetics can do to live longer.