If you're worried that because you're outside normal range blood sugar levels and you think you're on your way to going blind or losing a limb, there's reason to relax.
Diabetes research is progress at a quick clip.
You have enormous control over your blood glucose and the state of your health, as long as you stay current.
Here are a couple of crucial lessons for preventing or reversing the impact of diabetes.

1. You must keep current with research.
   The good news is that the field of diabetes research is advancing at a great pace.
   Even diabetes physicians have trouble keeping up.
   Breakthroughs that could improve your quality of life are not uncommon.
   Here are some ways to keep abreast of developments: Get desk references for diabetes.
   Alan Rubin is a leading author with books on diabetes, type 1 diabetes, and high blood pressure.
   Join the American Diabetes Association.
   Meet your local chapter.
   Subscribe to Diabetes Forecast the magazine of the ADA - you can actually get access to state of the art thinking and research.
   Go to authoritative resources including Medscape Diabetes and Endocrinology Home Page, the National Diabetes Education Initiative, and others.
   
2. Don't be afraid to check if you are genetically predisposed to diabetes.
   Even if both parents have the genetic material common to diabetes, you still only have a 4% chance of contracting it as well.
   But forewarned really is forearmed with diabetes.
   Talk to your physician if you find out you have predispositions.
   There are an increasing number of therapies you can look into that can prevent symptoms and complications.
   

The biggest insight in diabetes is that the disease is fundamentally an illness of habit and lifestyle.
Genetic inclination doesn't mean you'll get the disease.
You need to do whatever it takes to monitor and modify your habits.