Illegally Sold Diabetes Treatments Are A Far-Reaching Problem

There are 26 million people in the U.S. who have diabetes, including about 7 million who are undiagnosed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Millions more have pre-diabetes, meaning they have higher than normal blood sugar levels and can reduce their risks of developing diabetes through healthy lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise.

“Products that promise an easy fix might be alluring, but consumers are gambling with their health. In general, diabetes is a chronic disease, but it is manageable and people can lower their risk for developing complications by following treatments prescribed by health care professionals, carefully monitoring blood sugar levels, and sticking to an appropriate diet and exercise program,” said Coody.

Health care professionals and consumers are encouraged to report any adverse events related to products intented to treat or cure diabetes to FDA’s MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program:

• online at www.fda.gov/Medwatch/report.htm;
• by phone at 800-FDA-1088 (800-332-1088); or,
• by returning FDA form 3500, available on the MedWatch “Download Forms” page by mail to the address on the pre-addressed form or by fax at 800-FDA-0178.

This article appears on The FDA Consumer Updates page, which features the latest on all FDA-regulated products.