Tamil - Australian Diabetes Council

Types of diabetes - continued
Type 2 Management Plan
• Be physically active (e.g. walking) – aim for 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every
day of the week. Check with you doctor first
• Adopt a healthy eating plan
• Lose weight or maintain a healthy weight
• Reduce salt intake
• Drink plenty of water
• See your diabetes health care team for regular health checks –, blood glucose levels,
blood pressure, cholesterol, kidneys and nerve function, eyes and dental health
• Take care of your feet - check daily
• Stop smoking
• Regular dental care to avoid teeth and gum problems.
Encourage your family to adopt a healthy lifestyle.
Smoking and diabetes
Tobacco has many unhealthy effects, especially for people with diabetes. People with
diabetes who smoke are three times more likely to die of heart disease or stroke than people
with diabetes who do not smoke.
Smoking raises blood glucose levels, reduces the amount of oxygen reaching the body’s
tissues, increases fat levels in the blood, damages and constricts blood vessels and increases
blood pressure. All of these contribute to the risk of heart attack and stroke. Smoking can also
worsen blood supply to feet.
For those who quit smoking, more frequent monitoring of blood glucose levels is important.
This is because blood glucose levels may get lower when they quit smoking and can require
changes to medication doses.
It is advisable that people with diabetes discuss with their doctor, the products and services
available to help them quit smoking.
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