Smart ways to manage diabetes as you age

Living with diabetes can be difficult at any age, but it's especially hard as you become a senior. Here are some simple tips to help you control diabetes as you age.

The biggest issue is that as you age with diabetes, you are likely to develop other complications, such as heart disease, stroke, and vision and hearing problems. These can complicate treatment because you now may need multiple medications, which may interact with each other, and you may find it harder to read labels or hear directions.

• It's especially important to have a companion with you at doctor's visits.
• You might also consider finding a doctor who specializes in treating older people with diabetes. In fact, one recent study showed that people 65 and older who are treated by a geriatrician or a diabetologist were better able to maintain normal blood pressure and A1C levels than people who were treated by a specialist along with a primary care doctor.
• Interestingly, in the study, those who saw a geriatrician hit their blood pressure goals better, while those monitored by a diabetologist maintained their A1C levels more effectively.
• To age well with diabetes, pay close attention to your symptoms.

That would be exercise, without any question.

• Experts say that being active can slow the problems of age-related consequences that accompany diabetes. What's more, they say, exercise is unmatched by medication for being able to improve physical functioning, lessen disability and enhance mobility as you age.
• Here's the important point — aging alone doesn't cause you to be less active. There is no medical reason to prevent you from riding a bike or climbing a mountain in your 80s. What prevents that is mostly years (or decades) of sedentary living that lead to a steady decrease in muscle. Likewise, injuries or illnesses can make it harder to exercise over time. But neither prevents it.
• Being active is a choice. The more you move, the more you want to move — and have the ability to do so. The more you sit, the more you'll want to sit.

As you exercise your body (which, by the way, helps to protect your brainpower, too), you need to exercise your mind to keep it sharp as you age.

• So challenge yourself by learning something new — take up a language, do crossword puzzles or play chess with a pal. While the brain isn't a muscle, it acts like one; the more you use it, the stronger it functions.
• Reading, learning, having deep discussions and trying new things are all forms of useful brain exercise.
• In addition, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, which are loaded with antioxidants, can shield brain cells from damaging free radicals. Eat a mix of vegetables at every meal!
• And one drink a day — especially red wine — may actually slow the progression of dementia, according to one study.
• Finally, do everything you can to sleep at least seven hours a night.

Overall, a healthy lifestyle is the best way to manage diabetes as you age. Keep these tips in mind and take control of your diabetes with some simple changes.