Look after yourself Dr Rob Hicks Diabetes increases the risk of developing certain other health problems, including heart and circulatory diseases, so it's important to prevent these conditions developing.

In this article

Take regular exercise Avoid smoking and alcohol

Maintain a healthy diet Check blood pressure

Watch cholesterol levels

Walking, swimming, dancing or cycling, for example, will help keep your weight at an ideal level and assist in keeping blood sugar levels under control.

Smoking should be completely avoided since it greatly increases the risk of many health problems, including damage to the blood vessels.

Drink alcohol in moderation. Never drink on an empty stomach because this can cause hypoglycaemia. Excess alcohol also contributes to high blood pressure.

A healthy diet is essential. This should include regular meals that are low in fat and high in fibre, such as fruit, vegetables and pulses (beans, lentils and peas).

It's important to cut down on sugar and to have reduced-sugar foods and drinks. Have chocolate, cakes and sugary drinks as a treat occasionally.

The amount of salt in your diet also needs to be reduced, since this contributes to high blood pressure that in turn may cause heart disease and strokes.

Blood pressure levels should be checked regularly to ensure they're at a safe level. Current guidelines recommend that someone with diabetes should have a blood pressure level below 130/80.

A high cholesterol level damages the blood vessels and is another risk factor for heart and circulatory diseases. It's important that the cholesterol level for someone with diabetes is not too high, ideally it should be below 4.0.

This article was last medically reviewed by Dr Roger Henderson in January 2009.
First published in April 2001.