Diabetes is being better managed
From Times Wire Reports
Diabetics are controlling their blood-sugar levels better than ever before, according to a study of nearly 5 million patients.
Even so, almost half still fail to meet the recommended guidelines, according to research involving 22.7 million blood screens performed from 2001 to 2007 by Quest Diagnostics Inc., the largest U.S. provider of medical tests.
The goal of treatment is to lower blood sugar, which can build to dangerous levels in diabetics whose bodies fail to produce or use the insulin needed to convert it to energy.
Maintaining normal levels lowers the risk of kidney disease, nerve damage and blindness. By the end of last year, 54.6% of blood-sugar tests were within the recommended range, compared with 37.8% in 2001, the study found.
