Education

More than 30 million Americans are managing diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Learn the very basics, including symptoms, strategies for monitoring blood sugar, treatment options, approaches to prevent and manage complications and more.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring Improves Diabetes Control

December 8, 2006

A study published in the December issue of the journal Diabetes Care showed that using a continuous glucose monitor helped people with poorly controlled Type 1 diabetes lower their blood glucose levels. Read More “Continuous Glucose Monitoring Improves Diabetes Control”

Diabetic Birthdays and an Insulin-Dependent Santa Claus

December 7, 2006

So I haven’t had a day off in the last week and a half, splitting my time between making videos for a Web site and being a camera guy for a TV show. It’s good to have a lot of work leading up to the holiday season, but a day off every now and then does wonders. I will also be celebrating a birthday in nine days. Read More “Diabetic Birthdays and an Insulin-Dependent Santa Claus”

Article of the Week: Generic Drugs

December 6, 2006

This article from the Diabetes Self-Management archives explains how generic drugs come to market, how they can save you money, and which diabetes drugs are currently available in generic form.

Click here to read the article.

And remember that articles on a wide variety of diabetes topics are always available in our magazine archives section! Read More “Article of the Week: Generic Drugs”

What About Insulin?

December 6, 2006

Although there are active patents on the insulin analogs—lispro (Humalog), aspart (NovoLog), glulisine (Apidra), glargine (Lantus), and detemir (Levemir)—the patents have already run out on recombinant human insulins. So, with billions of dollars at stake, why haven’t generic manufacturers rushed to make generic versions of recombinant human insulin? And why are only two U.S.-based manufacturers (Eli Lilly and Company and, more recently, Sanofi-Aventis) manufacturing insulin? Read More “What About Insulin?”

Sleepless (But Not in Seattle)

December 5, 2006

Just for fun (and curiosity), I keyed "diabetes sleep" into a search engine and came up with all kinds of information. Sleep disturbances, various researchers say, are common in people with diabetes, with higher rates of insomnia, sleepiness during the day, and restless legs syndrome. Read More “Sleepless (But Not in Seattle)”

Metformin and Risk For Vitamin B12 Deficiency

December 4, 2006

Metformin (brand names Glucophage, Glucophage XR, Fortamet, Riomet, Glumetza, and others) is a popular and highly effective oral diabetes drug used to help manage Type 2 diabetes. This drug works by lowering the amount of glucose made by the liver and by making the body’s cells more sensitive to insulin. Metformin also has some other beneficial effects in that it may help lower blood lipid, or fat, levels (cholesterol and triglycerides) and can, in some people, promote a small amount of weight loss. Read More “Metformin and Risk For Vitamin B12 Deficiency”

Statin Studies Show Important Benefits for People With Diabetes

December 1, 2006

Two recent studies have confirmed the benefits of therapy with statins, a class of prescription drugs also known as HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors that lowers cholesterol levels. The studies demonstrated that statins can help prevent cardiovascular “events,” such as heart attacks, both in people with diabetes who don’t have cardiovascular disease and in those who have already had a heart attack or episode of severe angina (chest pain associated with heart disease). Read More “Statin Studies Show Important Benefits for People With Diabetes”

YouTube, Diabetes, and a Story

November 30, 2006

In my free time, which I haven’t had much of lately, I like to catch up on what I’ve missed on television through the wonders of YouTube.com. If you’re not a fan of YouTube or have never visited the site but are looking for a reason to go, well, here’s one, especially if you have diabetes. This video has been out for quite some time now and is worth a screening for all of you who are Wilford Brimley fans, like myself. Read More “YouTube, Diabetes, and a Story”

What We’re Reading: “His First Syringe”

November 30, 2006

This week, we’d like to direct your attention to this post at www.sixuntilme.com. In it, blogger Kerri relates the story of teaching her partner, Chris, how to give her an insulin injection. This blog is written by Kerri Morrone, a writer and editor with Type 1 diabetes.

And as a reminder, today is the final day during which you can nominate The Diabetes Self-Managment Blog for “Best Blog” and “Best Professional News Blog” over at The Diabetes O.C.. You can go straight to the nominating page, or read more about the awards in this previous “What We’re Reading” post. Read More “What We’re Reading: “His First Syringe””

You Pricked What?

November 28, 2006

I’m a little late with this post, and you’ll have to forgive me as I’ve been recovering from what I’ll now refer to as a “six-unit Thanksgiving.” I overate this Thanksgiving but took six units of insulin as an estimate for my gluttony and pretty much hit the nail on the head with a blood glucose level of 130 an hour after eating loads of cornbread, turnips, potatoes, turkey, ham, and just a few bites of banana pudding. Read More “You Pricked What?”

Meal Type

Dish Type

Ingredient

Cooking Style

Diet

World Cuisine

Diabetes-Friendly Recipes