American Diabetes Services supports the fight for type 2 diabetes cure

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, May, 2007

Every November, the American Diabetes Association encourages the public to learn more about diabetes and the risks associated with the disease. American Diabetes Services, which provides low-cost or free diabetic self testing supplies to those with Medicare or qualifying insurance, supports these efforts. "We commend the efforts of the American Diabetes Association and National Diabetes Awareness Month for bringing attention to diabetes health risks," said Lorne Yaffe, Vice President of Marketing for American Diabetes.

Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes is not known, but genetics and environmental factors such as lack of exercise and obesity tend to play a role.

The major types of diabetes include type 1, which results from the body's failure to produce insulin, the hormone that "unlocks" the cells of the body, allowing glucose to enter and fuel them; and type 2 diabetes, which results from insulin resistance (a condition in which the body fails to properly use insulin), combined with relative insulin deficiency. Most Americans who are diagnosed with diabetes have type 2 diabetes.

About seven percent of the US population, 20.8 million adults and children, have diabetes. While an estimated 14.6 million have been diagnosed with diabetes, 6.2 million people do not know they have the disease. Unfortunately, there is no type 1 or type 2 diabetes cure. Each year, an estimated one million people are newly diagnosed with the disease. American Diabetes Services helps those with diabetes by offering free or low-cost access to necessary diabetic supplies, such as meters and test strips.

Many people first become aware that they have diabetes when they develop one of its serious and life-threatening diabetes health risks. These include the following:

* Heart Disease and Stroke

* High Blood Pressure

* Blindness

* Kidney Disease

* Nervous System Damage

* Amputations

* Dental Disease

* Pregnancy Complications

* Sexual Dysfunction

Yaffe explained how people with diabetes can get help managing their disease with free diabetic self-testing supplies. "In most cases, individuals with Medicare or qualifying private insurance can get their diabetic supplies free of charge or for a very small co-pay. Diabetics can complete a simple form on our website (www.americandiabetes.com) to find out if they qualify for low-cost or free diabetic supplies."

American Diabetes is one of the nation's leading online and mailorder distributors of brand-name diabetic supplies delivered directly to the individual's home. American Diabetes supports finding a type 2 diabetes cure and provides personalized customer service and reduced expenses to those with diabetes; often, diabetic self-testing supplies are delivered at no cost to the patient. American Diabetes benefits include the following: free delivery directly to patient's homes, no insurance paperwork to complete, no up-front costs or waiting weeks or months for reimbursement. Diabetes supplies are delivered at very low or no cost to you. Leading products include One Touch Ultra, Accu-Chek Compact, and Abbott FreeStyle. American Diabetes is a Medicare-participating provider, specializes in providing supplies paid for by Medicare, and accepts Medicare assignment. In addition, we support private insurance, major medical, and group health insurance plans; we accept most plans in all 50 states with the exception of HMOs.

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