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Between frigid weather and the frenetic holiday season, it can be tough to control blood sugar and manage your diabetes in the winter. Cold temperatures can actually cause your body to release stress hormones like cortisol. This can stimulate your liver to make more glucose and reduce how much insulin you produce. As a result, your blood sugar levels may go up.
Winter can also affect other aspects of your diabetes care. Get to know what can change during this season so you’re prepared to maintain good health. “With diabetes it’s always about having a plan,” says Carole Radney, director of the Diabetes Management Center at Coliseum Medical Center.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Preventi... + 8
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Managing Diabetes in Cold Weather. Page last reviewed January 4, 2023.
- Piedmont Healthcare. Change in Temperature Can Affect Blood Sugar Levels. Accessed on April 19, 2023.
- American Diabetes Association. Weekly Exercise Targets. Accessed on April 20, 2023.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu and People with Diabetes. Page last reviewed September 12, 2022.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes: Managing Sick Days. Page last reviewed February 28, 2022.
- Mayo Clinic. Winter Fitness: Safety Tips for Exercising Outdoors. June 29, 2019.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Diabetes: Get Active! Page last reviewed November 3, 2022.
- Carol B. Feldman, Ellen D. Davis; Sockwear Recommendations for People With Diabetes. Diabetes Spectr 1 April 2001; 14 (2): 59–61.
- American Diabetes Association. Diabetes Foot Complications. Accessed July 18, 2023.
