Just Say No To Diabetes Foundation®.

Why Test For Diabetes ? 

WHAT'S YOUR BLOOD SUGAR ? 

Do you know what a "good" blood sugar reading is ?  Do you know what "your" blood sugar level is ?

If like millions of American's, you're somewhat overweight, you haven't been eating your veggies like you should be and the last time you saw the inside of a gym was during the Reagan-era, you need to know what your blood sugar levels are.

There is no "well maybe" or "I'm sure my Doctor would know if I'm at risk of getting Diabetes." You need to take things into your own hands. And you need to do it today.

While preventable, Type 2 Diabetes is a horrible disease and as the exploding number of people who have gotten Diabetes in the last decade alone can attest, we simply cannot depend on the medical community to slow the growth.

The Just Say No To Diabetes Foundation is dedicated to the prevention of Diabetes through education.

• Education about the dangers of Diabetes.
• Education that Diabetes is preventable.
• Education about what a good blood sugar number is.
• Education about the need to know your personal blood sugar levels.
• Education that testing for blood sugar is easy, simple, inexpensive and should be checked annually, at a minimum.

Diabetes is America's #1 health threat affecting over 20 million people. And sadly, even though it is in most part a preventable disease* -- nearly 6 million people who have Diabetes, are unaware they even have it.

That's right. A killer disease that gets worse without treatment and they don't even know they have it. That's more than the entire population of New York City, times three !

Who knows how many people could have been saved from the ravages of a life with uncontrolled Diabetes, had they only been tested and been made aware that their blood sugar levels were at dangerously elevated levels.

On top of this add another 54 million people who are unaware that they are on the verge of becoming Diabetic and it's easy to understand how prevention must become a national priority.

U.S. sales of Diabetes drugs reached $9.8 billion this year and are expected to soar between 60 to 70% by year 2009.

Sales of finger stick meters and disposables hit $6 billion. Obviously, something has to be done. Funding needs to be directed to prevention.

Worldwide, 127 million people had Diabetes in 1997. By 2010 this number is estimated to 221 million.

The only way to solve this problem is to encourage all American's to become aware of what a "good" blood sugar level is and next, what their personal blood sugar level is. And the only way to do that, is through testing.

Cost is not a barrier, as one of the most effective tests on the market today, can be done from the comfort of your home and only cost $25.

NATIONAL AWARENESS.

Today, most people are aware of what a "bad" blood pressure reading is. And quite a few people are now aware of what a "bad" cholesterol level is. But how many people know what a "bad" blood sugar reading is. How many people have even heard of a blood sugar test ?

A "good" blood sugar number (using an A1c test), in case you don't know, is 6 or under. 4-6 is considered to be in the normal range.

If your blood sugar is between 6 and 7 you may have Pre-diabetes or be Diabetic. If it is over 7, odds are you are Diabetic and you need to seek immediate medical attention.

*Preventable. In a recent study called the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) was shown that test subjects engaging in program of counseling on effective diet, exercise and behaviour modification reduced their risk of getting Diabetes by 58%. Participants over the age of 60 reduced their risk by 71%. These individuals all had blood sugar levels which were considered Pre-diabetic at the time they entered the study.

Learn More here:

DIABETES PREVENTION TRIAL.

Letter from Richard Rubin, Ph.D who participated as a researcher in the trial at the John Hopkins website.

Test Your Children too.

WHY TEST YOUR CHILDREN ?

Pre-diabetes is a condition where you or your child's blood sugar is higher than normal, but not so high as to the point where the medical comunity classifies it as Diabetes.

It is a serious medical condition, that like Diabetes itself, must be treated.

Pre-diabetes is the proverbial "wake up call" and a signal that it is officially time to take serious action -- with regards to diet and excercise. It's akin to the late-model car blowing blue smoke. You can keep driving it like you have been and do nothing but...

Why test children ? Children often have no symptoms of type 2 Diabetes. The only indication is an elevated and/or gradually elevating blood sugar level. And the only way to know if it's high and getting dangerously higher, is to test.

And DO NOT wait for your Doctor to order a test. For whatever reason -- and cost certainly isn't a barrier -- they simply are not ordering this safe and simple test.

The National Center for Chronic Disease recently reported that nearly one out of three American children born in year 2000, will be diagnosed with Diabetes at some point in their lives. 

This is not some obscure and/or rare disease affecting 1 out of 1000. That's one out of three people born. Not very good odds. The press calls it an "epidemic" for good reason.

The JSND recommended test cost less than a 1/4, of what most people spend on a nice pair of Nikes. So there is simply no excuse for not testing your children. Of course it's not

entirely hassle free. Every parent knows the "trauma" of having a child's finger pricked, to get a drop of blood. 

But compare that to a life of daily finger pricking to get blood sugar readings and instances where you might have to give them insulin shots up to 4 times a day and the decision to test and take corrective actions if necessary -- is simple. 

For your older children, the CDC states that the incidence of Diabetes for people in their 40's, increased 40% over a recent eight year period and for people in the 30's, it went up 70%. That's a frightening statistic.

If you have a child, even if they are under the age of 10 years old, particularly if the child is overweight, we urge you to have them tested.

If you have a child, regardless of whether they are living in your home or not -- and they are overweight, you must urge them to get tested.  

And don't harp on them to lose weight. Harp on them to get the blood sugar reading down.

With weight loss, generally speaking it can be an issue of vanity. A lot of people when given the choice between being svelte or enjoying their favorite foods in unchecked quantities, will chose a diet restricted only by taste. And that's fine.

But when it comes down to choosing to damage your body to the point where you need to give yourself up to 5 insulin injections a day over choosing a life of healthier eating habits and regular exercise -- it's not fine.

There is a lot of uncertainty about who does and doesn't get Diabetes. And there are a lot of obese people who may never get Diabetes.

But one thing we do know for sure, is that everyone who has Type 2 Diabetes, was Pre-diabetic first. And the only way to know if you are Pre-diabetic is to have your blood sugar tested.

Just Say No To Diabetes Recommended Blood Sugar Test.

Just Say Yes to Accubase !

The AccuBase A1c Test Kit by Diabetes Technologies screens for abnormal hemoglobins and reports an interference-free A1c answer and calculated Average Glucose in mg/dl units. A1c (glycohemoglobin) is an important test for individuals with any form of diabetes.

Take the test $25 test, get the results and then call your Doctor.