Diabetes for Dummies

When the first edition of Diabetes for Dummies came out in September 1999, I reviewed it and included it my my list of the 17 best books about diabetes. The second edition, just published by Wiley, is even better.

The author is Dr. Alan L. Rubin, an endocrinologist practicing in San Francisco. In the five years since he published the first edition of this book there have been huge advances in every phase of diabetes from diagnosis to diet. The second edition has all this and more. Some of the highlights to be found in this great book include:

* The newest blood glucose meters: the Accu-Chek Compact, the Ascensia Elite Diabetes Care System, the ExacTech RSG, GlucoWatch G2 Biographer, Hypoguard Advance, MiniMed Continuous Glucose Monitoring System, One Touch Ultra, Prestige LX, and others. Inexplicably, however, the book fails to mention my current favorite meters, TheraSense’s FreeStyle and FreeStyle Flash.

* The latest medications and combinations of medications including Glucovance, Glucophage XR, Glyset, Starlix, Avandamet as well as the latest information on Actos and Avandia. New insulins like NovoLog, Humalog, and Lantus. Using the old medications like Glucotrol, Micronase, and Glucophage to better control diabetes.

* Latest information on using Viagra and two newer drugs — Levitra and Cialis — to treat erectile dysfunction in men who have diabetes.

* The epidemic of type 2 diabetes in obese children and how to prevent it.

* Revisions in the diet for diabetes, the glycemic index, recommended calories and forbidden calories along with discussions of Atkins, South Beach, and other diets.

* The new 10,000 step exercise plan for diabetes with comments on other kinds of exercise and how exercise can prevent diabetes.

* New ideas about the psychology of diabetes including humorous stories from the thousands of people who have written to the author.

* New information on diabetes in Asians, African-Americans, and Hispanics, and the epidemic of obesity sweeping the world.

* New information on low blood glucose, plus how to avoid it and treat it when it occurs.

* New data on prevention of long-term complications like blindness and kidney failure.

* New advice for women who have diabetes and are pregnant or are postmenopausal, and those who wants to prevent pregnancy.

* New recommendations for the elderly population with diabetes.

* The revolution in providing insurance for and hiring people with diabetes.

* Cutting-edge information on future products and treatments that look promising.

* Hisses for products and treatments that rip off people with diabetes.

* Revisions of the websites (including mine) that provide the latest information on every aspect of diabetes.

The person who owns the first edition will want to be up-to-date and the person who has not bought the book yet will quickly decide there is a vast amount of information available in a readable, funny, and very positive form in the new second edition of Diabetes For Dummies. This 386-page softback book is available from fine bookstores everywhere for $21.99. Highly recommended.