Department of Health and Human ServicesFood and Drug Administration5600 Fishers Lane (HFI-40)Rockville, MD 20857

March 2002(FDA) 02-3238

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The Food and Drug Administration,or the FDA, is part of the

U.S. Department of Health andHuman Services.

It is the FDA’s job to make suremedicines for diabetes

and other illnesses workand are safe.

Do You Have Diabetes?

Millions of people havediabetes mellitus, commonlycalled diabetes. You may besurprised to know that manyof these people don’t evenknow they have it.

Diabetes is a serious diseaseand should not be ignored. Ifyou have it, correct treatmentcan help you live a long andhealthy life. This booklettells how.

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If you have diabetes, yourbody can’t make or useinsulin. Insulin helps changesugar into energy to keepyou alive.

This type of diabetes ismostly found in childrenand young adults. If youhave type 1 diabetes, yourbody does not make insulinand you must take insulinshots every day.

You May:➮ urinate often➮ be very thirsty➮ be very hungry➮ lose a lot of weight➮ be very tired➮ be irritable➮ have blurred vision➮ have trouble seeing

There are different kinds ofdiabetes. The main ones areType 1 and Type 2.

What is Diabetes? Type 1 Diabetes

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Most people with diabeteshave this form of the dis-ease. Type 2 is usuallyfound in people over 45,who have diabetes in theirfamily, who are overweight,who don’t exercise and whohave cholesterol problems.It is also common in certainracial and ethnic groups(blacks, American Indians,Hispanics) and in womenwho had diabetes whenthey were pregnant. Ifyou have type 2 diabetes,your body cannot makeenough insulin orcorrectly use it.Treatment isdiabetes pills andsometimesinsulin injec-tions, as well asdiet andexercise.

You May Have:➮ any of the symptoms of

type 1 diabetes➮ a lot of infections➮ cuts or bruises that heal

slowly➮ tingling or numbness in

the hands or feet➮ skin, gum or bladder

infections that keepcoming back

Daily monitoring and carefulcontrol of blood sugar levelsare the most important stepsto take for people with diabe-tes. If not treated, diabetescan cause:

Type 2 Diabetes Controlling Diabetes

☞ Warning: Low Blood Sugar

People with diabetes may develop low blood sugar becausetheir blood has too much insulin or other blood sugar-lowering medication or from not eating enough food. It isimportant to follow the eating and medication scheduleyour doctor has prescribed to avoid low blood sugar.

Low blood sugar could make you shaky, dizzy, sweaty,hungry, have a headache, have pale skin color, have suddenmood or behavior changes, have clumsy or jerky move-ments, have difficulty paying attention, feel confused, orhave tingling sensations around the mouth.

Many serious health problems

High blood sugar

(which could make you thirsty, tired, lose weight, urinate often, give you infections that won't go away)

(which could hurt your eyes, kidneys, nerves, heart)

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☞ Remember:

A person’s blood sugar level rises after eating any meal thatcontains carbohydrates or protein. Table sugar (also calledsucrose) counts as a carbohydrate. Artificial sweeteners,such as saccharin and aspartame (NutraSweet), do not countas carbohydrates or fats. They make food taste sweet, butthey do not raise blood sugar levels and have little or nocalories.

The best way to take care ofyour diabetes is to make surethe levels or amount of sugarin your blood are near thenormal range. This willmake you feel better andhelp you stay healthy.

Your doctor will tell you howoften to check your bloodsugar level. To do this youwill need to take a drop ofyour blood and place it on aspecial test strip. Then adevice called a blood glucosemeter, which measures theamount of sugar in yourblood, reads the strip.

Taking Care of Your Diabetes Writing down this level,along with the time anddate, will help you see how

Self Test Diary

MedicationBlood Sugar Pre Post Medication

Blood SugarPre Post

Comments:

Mon.

Tue.

Wed.

Thu.

Fri.

Sat.

Sun.

Comments:

Comments:

Comments:

Comments:

Comments:

Comments:

Breakfast Lunch Dinner Evening

MedicationBlood Sugar Pre Post Medication

Blood SugarPre Post

Date:

well your treatment plan isworking.

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☞ Remember:

Too much fat and cholesterol in your diet can be veryharmful to people with diabetes. Foods that are high in fatinclude red meat, dairy products (whole milk, cream,cheese and ice cream), egg yolks, butter, salad dressings,vegetable oils and many desserts.

What Else Can You Do?

Eat well-balanced meals—healthy foods in the rightamounts, will keep yourweight under control andhelp manage your diabetes.

Your body needs foods fromthe four main food groupsevery day:

➮ Fruits and vegetables(oranges, apples, bananas,carrots, and spinach)

➮ Whole grains, cereals, andbread (wheat, rice, oats,bran, and barley)

➮ Dairy products (whole orskim milk, cream, andyogurt)

➮ Meats, fish, poultry, eggs,dried beans, and nuts.

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Exercise—is important forgood diabetes control. Itusually lowers blood sugarand may help insulin workbetter. Exercise and ahealthy diet can also helpyou take off extrapounds if you areoverweight.

☞ Warning:Check with your doctor before starting any exerciseprogram. You may need a snack before or during theactivity to avoid having low blood sugar while you exercise.

If you need more informa-tion on diabetes, thesegroups may be of help:

American Diabetes Association

Attn: Customer Service1701 N. Beauregard St.Alexandria, VA 223111-800-DIABETES(1-800-342-2383)

www.diabetes.org

National Center for ChronicDisease Prevention and HealthPromotion

Centers for Disease Control andPrevention (CDC)

Division of Diabetes TranslationP.O. Box 8728Silver Spring, MD 209101-877-CDC-DIAB(1-877-232-3422)

www.cdc.gov/diabetes

Juvenile Diabetes FoundationInternational

120 Wall Street

New York, NY 100051-800-533-CURE(1-800-533-2873)

www.jdfcure.org

National Institute of Diabetesand Digestive and KidneyDiseases

National Diabetes InformationClearinghouse

1 Information WayBethesda, MD 208921-800-860-8747www.niddk.nih.gov/health/diabetes/diabetes.htm

Can You Do Anything Else? Do You Need More Information?

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Ask your doctor or othermember of your health-careteam—dieticians, nurse edu-cators and even family mem-bers and friends.

Do You Have More Questions About Diabetes?

You can also contact FDAthrough its toll-free number,1-888-INFO-FDA(1-888-463-6332). Or, on theWorld Wide Web atwww.fda.gov.