THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD CONTROL

The 20-year landmark United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS), recently published in the journal "Lancet," demonstrated again that intensive therapy and glucose monitoring, to keep blood glucose at near-normal levels, significantly reduce and delay diabetes-related complications such as blindness, amputation, kidney disease, and heart attacks. This is crucial information, given that $92 billion is spent each year in the U.S. to treat diabetes and its complications.

Armed with this new information, physicians and people with diabetes now have even more reason to closely manage this disease. But are they? Not according to a new national survey that shows the good news is not being heard.

In fact, the new Roper survey (a poll of physicians and type 2 diabetics taking oral medications) found that:

* Nearly 50% of patients are maintaining blood sugar levels well above American Diabetes Association (ADA) guidelines, increasing risk of complications.

* 90% of patients don't know what a SAFE blood level is as recommended by the ADA.

* More than 50% of physicians stated they would not change a patient's therapy until their blood glucose levels hit nearly 50% ABOVE the ADA's "take action" level of 140.

* Less than 25% of physicians recommend their patients on orals test their blood at least once a day.

* Most patients and physicians know diabetes is a progressive disease, yet they believe oral medications can treat the disease indefinitely.

The above findings suggest many patients may be out of control and at great risk for serious complications. And these complications may be preventable! We know the answer is diabetes education. Folks need to learn that:

* Oral treatments depend on the body�s own insulin to work.

However, over time, people with type 2 diabetes produce less and less insulin, meaning that up to 50% of type 2 patients may eventually require insulin therapy to control blood sugar levels.

* Near-normal blood glucose control has been shown to reduce the risk of complications such as blindness up to 21% and kidney disease by up to 33%.

As you may know, diabetes is a progressive disease, and can require different treatments at different stages. However, as the survey discovered, some physicians are responding to changes in their patients' control by simply prescribing more and more pills, making patients think they are successfully controlling their disease. This is a strategy for failure.

It is estimated that of the nearly 10 million now diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, folks who know they have the disease, and have sought and received some treatment, at least one million need to get their disease back under control.

As a way to help divert this growing public health crisis, pharmaceutical manufacturer Eli Lilly and Company has sponsored the "Search for the Missing Million," a campaign of publicity and education designed to find and alert these diabetics who may be "out of control."