Doctors treating people with diabetes look at three different goals called the ABCs: A1c level (from HBA1c for diabetes), blood pressure, and cholesterol. People with diabetes who achieve these goals lower their risk of health complications and death.

The survey tracked close to 1,500 adults from 2007 to 2010. It found that 52.5% of adults achieved A1c levels below 7%, the target recommended by the American Diabetes Association. The A1c test reveals your blood sugar control over the past two to three months. For blood pressure, the percentage of people that hit the desired target of less than 130/80 was 51.1%.

For LDL or “bad” cholesterol, the percentage with less than 100 mg/dL was 56.2%. Statins helped more than 40% of people reach this goal. Overall, though, only about 1 in 5 patients achieved all three "ABC" goals. That's a significant jump from 1.7% in 1988-1994, but there is still much room for improvement, the researchers say.

"Achieving the ABC goals remains [low] among adults with diabetes, particularly in some minority groups," they write. Younger people were also less likely to meet A1c and cholesterol goals.

"Despite the strong scientific evidence showing the benefits of ABC control and statin use in reducing complications, many patients are not achieving ABC targets or taking statins," writes researcher Sarah Stark Casagrande, PhD, from Social & Scientific Systems in Silver Spring, Md.

"As the U.S. population ages and diabetes prevalence increases, it becomes increasingly urgent to find ways to overcome barriers to good diabetes management and deliver affordable, quality care so those with diabetes can live a longer and healthier life without serious diabetes complications," the researchers conclude.