Diabetes A Plan For Living: Diabetes

Content provided by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School

Diabetes: A Plan for Living

The odds are that you or someone you know has diabetes already or is at risk of developing this disease. The number of Americans with diabetes currently tops 20 million, or roughly 1 out of every 15 people, and many more are at risk.

Of course, if you or someone you love has diabetes, the disorder is about much more than a statistic. It means a new way of life. Eating a meal, planning a vacation, or going for a run requires forethought and planning. From testing your blood sugar, to planning your meals, to taking insulin, managing your diabetes takes effort and discipline.

What's more, you not only have to think about keeping your blood sugar levels as normal as possible from day to day, you also have to worry about finding ways to avoid long-term complications that may develop as a result of having diabetes. People with diabetes face an increased risk of such complications as blindness, kidney failure, amputation, and heart attacks and stroke.

Small wonder, then, that a diagnosis of diabetes may seem overwhelming. Both people with diabetes and their families may find themselves struggling with negative emotions — fear, frustration, anger —as they learn more about the disease and the lifestyle changes it requires.

However, there's plenty of good news emerging about diabetes. Research shows that keeping your blood sugar levels as close to normal as possible is worth the time and effort. Rigorous blood sugar control can enable you to delay or even prevent the progression of diabetes and its debilitating long-term complications. Such tight control is now possible thanks to recent innovations such as high-tech monitoring devices, improved medications, and nearly painless insulin injectors.

This report will help you better understand and manage your diabetes. It covers the two main forms of diabetes, type 1 and type 2, as well as other variations of this disease. Among other things, you'll learn the basics of how your body metabolizes sugar, the tools of diabetes control, and the fundamentals of nutrition and exercise. You'll also get up-to-date information on new products, medications, and techniques that may further revolutionize diabetes care. Perhaps most importantly, you'll see that it's not just possible to live with diabetes; it's possible to live well.

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Last updated:	January 23, 2007