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(HONESDALE, January 5, 2006)…If you have diabetes and think you don’t need to manage your disease, the American Diabetes Association cautions think again. Research shows diabetics who tightly control their blood sugar levels reduce their risks for eye, kidney and nerve damage, as well as heart disease. And more: a long-awaited federal study shows that Type I diabetics who tightly control their blood sugar levels can cut their risk of heart attacks and strokes in half.  The study, published in the December 2005 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, strongly suggests the same will be true for people with the more common Type 2 diabetes.  Both types have to do with the body’s ability to make and use insulin, which helps convert sugar and other foods into energy.

In her upcoming course, “Living Well With Diabetes,” Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator Carol Kneier will help diabetics and their families understand and manage the disease. In addition to practical basics such as menu planning and label reading, Kneier will explain the disease itself—what is diabetes, what are the medications used to control it, how does a patient monitor his or her “sugar” level—along with the benefits of exercise and “good care from head to toe.”  

“Diabetes is a serious illness, but it doesn’t have to rule your life,” the Wayne Memorial dietitian tells her students, “You control your diabetes, it doesn’t control you.”  

Wayne Memorial has been sponsoring diabetes education classes since 1996. Kneier, who is certified by the American Association of Diabetes Educators, says anyone involved in managing diabetes—including spouses, parents, caregivers and friends—is encouraged to attend her course.