12 VITALITY Fall 2026 Manage diabetes with your doctor’s help Seeing your primary care physician regularly is essential for good diabetes control. Diabetes is a lifelong condition that requires monitoring, treatment and support. A family physician helps track blood sugar levels over time, often using tests like A1C to see how well your plan is working. Regular visits allow your doctor to adjust medications, review your progress and address concerns before they become serious. They also provide guidance on everyday habits like diet, exercise, sleep, and stress, which all play a major role in managing diabetes. Just as important, your family physician watches for early signs of complications such as heart disease, kidney problems, nerve damage or vision loss. Catching these issues early can prevent long-term health problems and improve quality of life. By building a trusted relationship with your physician, you gain a partner who helps you stay on track, manage changes and live well with diabetes. What is diabetes? Perhaps the first thing to know about diabetes is that it isn’t just one disease. It’s actually a group of diseases characterized by high levels of glucose (sugar) in the blood. It may be that the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin—a hormone involved in turning food into glucose, which the body uses for energy. Another possibility is that the body isn’t using insulin effectively. Whatever the case, the result is too much sugar in the blood. And excessive amounts of blood sugar can harm organs and lead to serious problems. Diabetes typically strikes in one of three ways: Type 1 diabetes Type 1 usually begins in childhood or young adulthood. It occurs when the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin—or makes no insulin at all. That’s why people with type 1 need to regularly take insulin, often with daily injections. Only about 5% to 10% of adults diagnosed with diabetes have type 1. Type 2 diabetes This is the most common type of diabetes. About 90% of adults diagnosed with diabetes have type 2. It is diagnosed most often in adults but is increasingly being found in children. Type 2 occurs when the pancreas doesn’t make enough insulin or doesn’t use it properly. Genetics, diet and inactivity are all probable causes. Medicines and sometimes insulin are needed to treat it. Gestational diabetes Some women who’ve never had diabetes before develop it during pregnancy. Gestational diabetes usually resolves once the baby is born. However, it increases the mother’s risk for future type 2 diabetes—as well as the baby’s risk, if the mother isn’t treated. Sources: American Diabetes Association; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases; UpToDate Don’t have a primary care provider? Visit citizensmemorial.com to find a provider near you.
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