An important first step is working with your doctor to develop a diabetes action plan. If you don't have one, learn how [...]]]> If you have diabetes, you face a higher risk of heart attack, stroke, and other complications such as eye, kidney, and nerve disease. The good news is it’s treatable.

An important first step is working with your doctor to develop a diabetes action plan. If you don't have one, learn how to select a physician.

Here’s what to expect  from the initial screening:

• a screening blood sugar test
• a blood test for A1c (glycohemoglobin)
• blood pressure check
• blood lipid levels (including cholesterol) and lab tests for kidney function
• an eye exam every 1 to 2 years
• a foot exam

Here’s what you’ll need to do down the road:

• Control your blood sugar.
• Eat well.
• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Measure your blood pressure at home, and take steps to control it.
• Quit smoking.
• Stay active.
• Control your cholesterol level and other lipids (fat) in your blood.
• Check your feet every day. Look for any signs of redness, swelling, sores, cracks, or extreme dryness.
• Wear a medical alert bracelet for emergencies.
• Have a sick-day plan.
• Get a flu shot.
• Travel safely.

But take heart, living well with diabetes is possible with help from your health care specialists and by taking charge.  Learn more about diabetes.

Rosenberg recruited Ken Morris, [...]]]> When Christy Rosenberg, director of the San Diego Council of Community Clinics Health Network, found the clinic’s simple three-drug protocol known as ALL could reduce the chances of high-risk patients developing a heart attack or stroke by 50 percent, she had tne reaction: “Let’s jump on it.”

Rosenberg recruited Ken Morris, chief medical officer at North County Health Services, and Dr. Jennifer Tuteur, then medical director of Comprehensive Health Center, to roll out the program to a wider audience.

Today, there are more than 500 patients on the ALL program (named for the three drugs aspirin, lovastatin, and lisinopril) with 99 percent of them staying on the drugs and maintaining their health. “It’s a phenomenal record,” says Tuteur.

Watch as medical director Winston Wong and Dr. Tuteur detail the impact of the ALL protocol.

For residents of Watts, one of the best-known neighborhoods in Los Angeles, the answer was a twist on an old idea: the farmers’market. With support from Kaiser Permanente, the weekly market brings [...]]]> What do you do when your community is home to the highest percentage of diabetes, stroke, and heart disease?

For residents of Watts, one of the best-known neighborhoods in Los Angeles, the answer was a twist on an old idea: the farmers’market. With support from Kaiser Permanente, the weekly market brings healthy produce — and healthy eating habits — to the neighborhood.

“What we thought we would bring with this market was not only fresh fruits and vegetables, but also a way to bring health-related information and also to get people thinking healthier,” explains Joanne Robinson, executive director of the Kaiser Permanente Watts Counseling and Learning Center. The market also has the support of LA County.

Says Maxine Liggins, area medical director, South Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health: “We want to help them to see the value in investing in fresh good food that’s well-prepared and prepared in a low-calorie manner.”

See how the farmers’ market in Watts offers fresh produce and food for thought about healthy living.

Many health issues that affect our communities are complicated. But that doesn’t mean the solutions need to be.

A simple treatment involving only three medications is helping people with diabetes reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke, and blindness. Doctors with Kaiser Permanente found that treating them with ALL (short for aspirin, lovastatin, [...]]]> Many health issues that affect our communities are complicated. But that doesn’t mean the solutions need to be.

A simple treatment involving only three medications is helping people with diabetes reduce their risk of heart attack, stroke, and blindness. Doctors with Kaiser Permanente found that treating them with ALL (short for aspirin, lovastatin, and lisinopril) reduces the chances of a heart attack by more than 50 percent.

"We tell our patients, 'This will save your lives,'" says Jennifer Tuteur, MD, who oversees the care of 1,600 patients with diabetes.

Learn how Dr. Tuteur and others are using ALL to give patients a better chance at healthier lives.

Calculating your body mass index (BMI) is a quick way to learn whether or not you're at a healthy weight for your height. Maintaining your weight within a healthy range will help you avoid serious health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.

Calculate your BMI.

The bad news: Smoking causes more deaths from heart disease than it does from cancer. If you continue to smoke (even as little as one cigarette a day), you are dramatically increasing the risk of having a heart attack.

The good news: As soon as you quit, your risk [...]]]> The bad news: Smoking causes more deaths from heart disease than it does from cancer. If you continue to smoke (even as little as one cigarette a day), you are dramatically increasing the risk of having a heart attack.

The good news: As soon as you quit, your risk begins to decrease.

Let us help you quit smoking.