Walking The Walk With Mr. Diabetes

Tuesday, March 1, 2005

Walking The Walk With Mr. Diabetes (NAPSA)—What would motivate a 60-year-old man to pack up his life one day and walk the 10,000 mile perimeter of the US, not to return home for more than three years? Meet Andy Mandell, aka Mr. Diabetes, who informs and educates the public about managing blood sugarlevels. Mandell, a lifelong athlete, was caught off guard when diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (where the body does not produce enough insulin or the cells ignore insulin) on his 40th birthday. Poor compliance with his oral medication, diet and exercise regimen left his blood sugar uncontrolled. Unfortunately, his diabetes got worse and complications resulted. Mandell is not alone. More than 60 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes in the United States do not have their diabetes under control—as measured by A1C, a test that assesses blood glucose levels over a two- to three-month period. The recommended medical target established by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) is an A1C of less than seven percent. A recent survey of patients with type 2 diabetes, commissioned by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), found that 84 percent believed they were doing a good job controlling their blood sugar, even though 61 percent went on to say they didn’t know what an A1C test is. Hence, the urgency of Mr. Diabetes and his walking mission. “T’ve walked more than 6,000 miles at this point because people should know that the risk of complications from diabetes may be Andy Mandell, “Mr. Diabetes,” walks the country informing people about managing blood sugar. reduced with the right medical guidance and attention to one’s health,” says Mandell. Mandell knows how to walk the walk; despite his never-standstill schedule, he always manages to maketime to test his A1C levels on a regular basis. Today, Mandell boasts an AIC level below seven percent. In addition to maintaining a walking pace of 12 miles a day, Mandell helps keep his blood sugarlevels in good control with the help of a oncedaily 24-hour basal insulin called Lantus (insulin glargine [rDNA origin] injection) added to his daily treatment regimen. For full prescribing information about Lantus you canvisit: www.lantus.com. Note to Editors: Important Safety Information Prescription Lantus is for adults with type 2 diabetes or adults and children (6 years and older) with type 1 diabetes who require long-acting insulin for the control of high blood sugar. Do not dilute or mix Lantus with any other insulin or solution. It will not work as intended, and you may lose blood sugar control, which could be serious. Do not change your insulin without talking with your doctor. The syringe must not contain any other medication or residue. You should not use Lantus ifyou are allergic to insulin. Lantus is a long-acting insulin you inject just once a day, at the same time each day. As with any insulin therapy, possible side effects may include blood sugar levels that are too low (hypoglycemia); injection site reactions, including changes in fat tissue at the injection site; itching and rash; and allergic reactions. Rare but serious side effects may occur. Tell your doctor about all other medicines and supplements you are taking because they can change the way insulin works. Lantus is a registered trademark of Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. Aventis Pharmaceuticals is a member of the sanofi-aventis Group.

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