Is cancer the leading cause of death for people with diabetes?
No. Cancer is not the leading cause of death for people with diabetes. The most life-threatening consequences of diabetes are heart disease and stroke, which strike people with diabetes more than twice as often as they do others. In fact 2 out of 3 people with diabetes die from heart attack or stroke. People with diabetes are also at risk for other complications such as kidney failure, vision loss, or amputation. That’s why it is important for people with diabetes to manage their ABCs of diabetes: • A stands for A1C (a measure of average glucose). Most people with diabetes should get an A1C test at least twice a year, which measures how well blood glucose has been controlled over the past 2-3 months. The American Diabetes Association recommends that most people with diabetes strive for an A1C less than 7%, which is an estimated average glucose of less than 154 mg/dl. • B stands for blood pressure. People with diabetes often have high blood pressure as well, which places extra stress on
