Diabetic Products

A More Subtle Way of Testing For Diabetes

Monday, June 21, 2010 by Maeve Quinn

Blood glucose monitors tend to be conspicuous and burdensome. Diabetics often need to perform their tests in public, and this can be an embarrassing or stressful experience. Because people have to take time out of their daily schedules to test, the need for frequent testing disrupts busy lives.

One solution is an implantable microchip that will detect blood glucose levels. The microchip will transmit test results to a wireless device which the patient can read without doing any self-testing. MicroCHIPS, Inc., is one company developing this technology. The chips are made to be implanted just under the skin and provide highly accurate readings for a full year.

This device is a promising new product for diabetes management.

A Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitor?

Monday, June 21, 2010 by Maeve Quinn

Orsense Ltd., a medical technology company operating in Nes Ziona, Israel, recently launched its NBM-200G non-invasive continuous glucose monitor. Developers aimed to make this technology as simple and pain-free as possible. Their goal is to improve the likelihood that users will follow the strict glucose level monitoring regimen necessary for diabetes patients.

This non-invasive monitor operates by applying pressure to a patient's finger and temporarily stopping blood flow. A sensor then carefully measures the light that shines through the finger to ascertain blood glucose levels. This monitor has been found to be just as accurate as invasive monitors, but it is much more comfortable and safer to use. The new technology avoids taking frequent blood samples from slow-to-heal diabetes patients, an uncomfortable process that carries the risk of infection.

This new product is in the last stages of development.

Online Diabetes Disease Management Programs

Thursday, June 17, 2010 by Maeve Quinn

Many people in America lack the information they need to manage their diabetes. Testing blood glucose levels alone is not effective unless combined with up-to-date information about how to manage diabetes. Sometimes people lack vital information because they don't have insurance coverage, time, or transportation to classes or support groups.

The good news is that online diabetes programs can help manage diabetes at home without any additional cost. These programs can be used to select the right products, and to help keep track of your glucose test results and other records. Other programs make it easier for you to stay well informed about the latest diabetes news.

The Diabetes Care Club helps its members navigate the complex world of diabetes testing equipment. It provides members with access to the best testing supplies and assistance in filing Medicare claims. One click and the Club's experts can help provide you with information you need to stay healthy.

Cheap Diabetic Supplies

Tuesday, June 15, 2010 by Maeve Quinn

I know that living with a condition like type 2 diabetes can seem like a major hassle, and an expensive one at that. There are just so many things to keep track of. You need to manage your diet, make time for exercise and extra doctor visits, understand your blood glucose level test, and make room in the budget for prescription treatments for diabetes.

The good news is that with Medicare benefits, even the best blood glucose meter can prove to be cheap diabetic supplies.

Medicare will often pay for most of your expenses. In fact, it covers as much as 80% of the cost of basic supplies. With luck, private insurance may cover the balance, leaving you with what are essentially free diabetes testing supplies. Check now to see whether you qualify for Medicare coverage.

By doing your homework, you could end up fully supplied with highest quality diabetic products, all delivered right to your door for free!

Diabetes products are everywhere

Friday, December 18, 2009 by Leigh Anne Ellis

Did you know that you you have more than 50,000 options for obtaining your diabetes products? Diabetic medical supplies are found in drug stores, infomercials and online.

So how do you choose? I recommend the Diabetes Care Club (DCC).

Why? Well, I am in a position to know how passionate DCC is about getting your diabetes products in your hands quickly and efficiently ... with no muss or fuss for you. DCC processes ALL of your paperwork and you never have to pay anything in advance.

DCC doesn't just take your order for diabetic medical supplies, we are your caring resource for information. That's why out of 50,000 options, DCC is in the top three.

This blog is associated with Simplex MD (simplexmd.com) and the Diabetes Care Club (diabetescareclub.com), sponsored by Simplex Healthcare.

Important Notice: Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.

Blood glucose control through Chamomile tea

Friday, December 18, 2009 by Leigh Anne Ellis

Can you imagine that on your list of diabetes products, Chamomile could be at the top? Chamomile has been used as an herbal tea and as a medicinal cure-all to treat a variety of medical problems including stress, colds and menstrual cramps, and it could be the next glucose control "solution."

Scientists recently proposed that the herbal tea might be beneficial for fighting diabetes, but the theory hasn’t been scientifically tested until recently.

Researchers in Japan and the United Kingdom report that drinking chamomile tea daily with meals may help prevent the complications of diabetes, which include loss of vision, nerve damage, and kidney damage.

The findings could lead to the development of a new chamomile-based treatment for type 2 diabetes, which is at epidemic levels in the United States and spreading worldwide.

The researchers fed chamomile extract to a group of diabetic rats for 21 days and compared the results to a group of control animals on a normal diet.

The chamomile-supplemented animals showed a significant decrease in blood glucose levels compared with the controls, they say. The extract also showed significant inhibition of both ALR2 enzymes and sorbitol, whose elevated levels are associated with increased diabetic complications, the scientists say.

This blog is associated with Simplex MD (simplexmd.com) and the Diabetes Care Club (diabetescareclub.com), sponsored by Simplex Healthcare.

Important Notice: Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.

Choosing the right lancing device -- consider safety

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 by Leigh Anne Ellis

I came across a great evergreen (still relevant) article in Diabetes Health Magazine with tips for choosing the right lancing device.

The article suggests one important criteria to consider is safety. The need to load and remove lancets for each individual use creates issues of safety, particularly for children.

The safest products allow safe ejection of the used lancet without handling. However, even some devices with an ejection mechanism do not work when used with hollow-back lancets. This problem will eventually be resolved with the advent of self-contained lancets in one disposable cartridge or disk.

THE FUTURE IS NOW: Since this article was originally published, technology caught up. The Accu-Chek Multiclix lancing device offered by the Diabetes Care Club is a world first in diabetes care. Safety and convenience are combined, since no handling of lancets is necessary.

Six lancets are preloaded in a drum making it easy to change.
The drum can simply be discarded in the household waste.

With no risk of accidental pricking and easy lancet change, the Accu-Chek Multiclix makes regular testing fast, safe and less painful.

This blog is associated with Simplex MD (simplexmd.com) and the Diabetes Care Club (diabetescareclub.com), sponsored by Simplex Healthcare.

Please note: Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.

The evolution of diabetes treatment

Tuesday, December 15, 2009 by Leigh Anne Ellis

Do you ever wonder how people in the diabetes community lived before they had self management tools like Ascensia Contour monitors, Optium strips, modified diabetes recipes and the like?

Translated from ancient Greek, diabetes mellitus means 'honey sweet flow,' and stems from a time when tasting a patient's urine was still part of the physician's diagnostic repertoire. By the sweet taste of the urine, diabetes mellitus could be distinguished from diabetes insipidus, another disease with increased urinary output.

Diabetes mellitus appears to have been a death sentence in the ancient era. Hippocrates makes no mention of it, which may indicate that he felt the disease was incurable. The Greek physician Aretaeus did attempt to treat it, but could not give a good prognosis; he commented that "life (with diabetes) is short, disgusting and painful." The Indian Sushruta (written around 100 AD) identified diabetes and further identified it with obesity and sedentary lifestyle, advising exercises to help "cure" it.

The 20th Century was a time of scientific enlightenment in diabetes research, including a number of Nobel Prizes in medicine. The turning point came in 1921, when Sir Frederick Grant Banting and Charles Herbert Best demonstrated that they could reverse induced diabetes in dogs by giving them an extract (insulin) from the pancreatic islets of Langerhans of healthy dogs.

Banting, Best and colleagues went on to purify the hormone insulin from bovine pancreases at the University of Toronto, leading to the availability of an effective treatment -- insulin injections. The first patient was treated in 1922. For this achievement, Banting and laboratory director MacLeod received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1923 and shared their prize money with others on the team.

In an unprecedented gesture of generosity to humankind, Banting and Best made the patent available without charge and did not attempt to control commercial production. Insulin production and therapy rapidly spread around the world, largely as a result of this decision. Banting is honored by World Diabetes Day, which is held on his birthday, November 14.

In 1980, U.S. biotech company Genentech developed human insulin. The insulin is isolated from genetically altered bacteria (the bacteria contain the human gene for synthesizing human insulin), which produce large quantities of insulin. Scientists then purify the insulin and distribute it to pharmacies for use by diabetes patients. (The illustration above shows the scientific structure of insulin.)

And each year, our knowledge and diabetes self management knowledge and capabilities grow through further discoveries and vastly improved testing technologies.

This blog is associated with Simplex MD (simplexmd.com) and the Diabetes Care Club (diabetescareclub.com), sponsored by Simplex Healthcare.

Diabetes Care Club: It's as easy as 1,2,3

Friday, December 4, 2009 by Leigh Anne Ellis

Why it makes sense to join the Diabetes Care Club

Whether you -- or someone you love -- are recently diagnosed, or you have dealt with a diabetic condition for some time, managing your diabetic supplies is easier than ever before.

Just fill out and submit the simple online form or call us toll free at 1-800-840-7711. During our initial phone conversation, one of our skilled Diabetic Care Coordinators will determine which Diabetes Care Club products are appropriate for your needs and how many times you test your blood sugar a day. We'll verify these needs with your physician and obtain documentation of your diabetic testing supplies requirements, which normally only takes a couple days.

Once your service is in place, we'll keep the flow of your supplies running smoothly. One of our Diabetic Care Coordinators will call quarterly to confirm that you have enough supplies on hand. We keep track of your needs, so we'll know precisely when to send your next shipment.

This blog is associated with Simplex MD (simplexmd.com) and the Diabetes Care Club (http://www.diabetescareclub.com/), sponsored by Simplex Healthcare.

Diabetic Recipes: Grocery Shopping Tips

Friday, December 4, 2009 by Leigh Anne Ellis

What's your grocery shopping IQ?

Most of us already know not to go the grocery store hungry. We may even know to stay on the perimeter track of the store where fresh foods usually are displayed. We have our lists and pre-planned menus before we grab a shopping cart and we know to read labels on all prepackaged products.

The American Diabetes Association offers up some additional ideas to help you at the grocery store as you shop for the foods to prepare your diabetes recipes.

Boneless cuts of meat are often better buys, since you are not paying for the weight of the bone. Think of cost per edible serving rather than cost per pound. Turkey has 46% edible meat per pound, while chicken has 41%.

There is no nutritional difference between brown and white eggs. Choose white eggs since they cost less.

Vegetables frozen in butter sauce cost twice as much as plain frozen vegetables – and they have more calories.

Instead of buying small containers of yogurt, buy a quart and separate it into 1-cup servings yourself.

Avoid individually packaged snacks. Reap significant savings with a do-it-yourself approach.

Price fruits with an eye on the cost per edible serving. If you are paying by the pound, you will be paying for the inedible seeds and rinds.

If fresh fruit is too expensive, buy frozen or canned fruit packed in water. If you buy fruit canned in syrup, rinse it before eating.

Use nonfat dry milk for drinking, cooking and baking. It is inexpensive and has a long shelf life.

Make your own cooking spray by putting vegetable oil in a spray bottle.

Cook your own hot cereal to save money. Regular or quick-cooking oats are much less expensive than instant oats.

Dry beans triple in volume when they are soaked and cooked. A 1-pound bag will make six 1-cup servings.

When buying fresh greens by weight, be sure to shake off the excess water before you put them in your cart. It is amazing how much water can be hidden in between the leaves.

The costs of special "dietetic or diabetic" foods are high and not necessary.

This blog is associated with Simplex MD (simplexmd.com) and the Diabetes Care Club (http://www.diabetescareclub.com/), sponsored by Simplex Healthcare.

Diabetes Care Club: Save a trip to the pharmacy

Friday, November 20, 2009 by Leigh Anne Ellis

Taking delivery on

your diabetes products is as easy as pie.

Stay at home, leave the car in the garage, eliminate those annoying lines at the pharmacy -- and ditch the paperwork. All you need to do is open your door every few months to receive your FREE home delivery of the exact diabetes self-management supplies you need - from meters and batteries to control solution, test strips, lancets and lancing devices. You'll know your mail carrier better than your pharmacist!

(Photo courtesy USPS.)

This blog is associated with Simplex MD (simplexmd.com) and the Diabetes Care Club (http://www.diabetescareclub.com/), sponsored by Simplex Healthcare.

Blood Glucose Monitor Technology

Monday, November 2, 2009 by Leigh Anne Ellis

For those of us looking for diabetic products for ourselves or family members, it is wonderful to know that not only is the technology getting better and better, but the price of the blood glucose meter seems to drop every year. Today, we get better equipment at a lower price than we could one -- or even two -- decades ago.

Blood glucose monitors are marketed with something of a razor-and-razor-blade strategy. The meters themselves are not very expensive, but the cost of the diabetes test strips can be significantly more. That's why it is extremely important to shop around not just for the best whizz-bang meter you can find, but for the long-term use of the strips.

However you look at the cost though, monitoring and caring for your condition is much cheaper than the cost of treating the long-term health hazards that result if you do not take care of the condition. On the upside, most of the equipment you need to monitor is usually covered by insurance. Check with your insurance provider before you commit to buying.

This blog is associated with Simplex MD (simplexmd.com) and the Diabetes Care Club (diabetescareclub.com), sponsored by Simplex Healthcare.

Important Notice: Information provided is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any health care questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to health care issues.

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