Diabetes is a chronic disease that begins when your body either doesn't make enough insulin or doesn't use insulin effectively. Insulin, a hormone produced by your pancreas, helps your body make energy from food. Without insulin, your blood sugar can rise to dangerously high levels, because the glucose (sugar) in your blood isn't being used by your cells to make energy. Glucose remains in your bloodstream and becomes excessive, and this can cause many health problems.

Diabetes is very common. The disease and its complications claim close to 200,000 lives a year and impair quality of life for many more. Nationwide, some 13 - 14 million people have diabetes. Yet over half of these people don't even know they have it!

Untreated, the disease can cause substantial damage to the kidneys, heart, eyes, nerves, and blood vessels. Problems in the legs and feet, such as ulcers or gangrene, are also common in individuals with diabetes and and may lead to amputation. Most people with diabetes can live normal, productive and fulfilling lives if under proper medical care. Indeed, early diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and control of the disease are essential to the maintenance of heath.

For more information on diabetes, its symptoms, its treatment, and dangers, contact:

American Diabetes Association
1660 Duke St.
Alexandria, VA  22314
703-549-1500
(800)232-3472

American Association of Diabetes Education
Box 56, N. Woodbury Rd.
Pitman, NJ  08071
609-589-4831

Juvenile Diabetes Foundation
60 Madison Ave.
New York, NY  10010
212-889-7575

National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse 
Box NDIC
Bethesda, 
MD  20892
(301)654-3327;
(301)907-8906(Fax)

Diabetes Treatment Centers of America
One Burton Hills Blvd.
Nashville, 
TN 37215

Diabetes Education Society
1-800-659-5808

Publications:

Diabetes Self- Management
150 West 22nd Street
New York, N.Y. 10011
(212) 989-0200

Real Living with Diabetes
The Cobb Group
9420 Bunsen Parkway, Suite 300
Louisville, Kentucky 40220-4206
Phone: 502-491-1900
FAX: (502) 491-4200

Diabetes information resource on the Internet

Check out the Diabetes Knowledgebase (University of Wisconsin Medical School).

Joel R. Cooper
The Medical Reporter/Joel R. Cooper Creative Services
Medical & Healthcare writing, editing and reporting
P.O. Box 370314
Denver, CO 80237
Telephone: (303) 337-6299; FAX: (303) 337- 9201
e-mail: jcooper@medreport.com