RESOURCES FOR DIABETES MANAGEMENT

Merck Helps Make Type 2 Diabetes Management Easier for Patients

According to the American Diabetes Association, diabetes is one of the fastest growing healthcare problems in the U.S. Nearly 26 million people in the U.S. (8.3 percent of the population) have diabetes, and 90 to 95 percent of these cases are type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that one in three Americans born in 2000 will develop diabetes sometime during their lifetime.

Fortunately, you can help by making healthy lifestyle choices, including healthy eating habits and exercise.

That’s why Merck is committed to improving patient education through programs like Diabetes Restaurant Month and Blood Sugar Basics.

Diabetes Restaurant Month

More than one-third of Americans' daily calorie intake comes from food eaten outside the home, including sit-down restaurants and fast-food establishments, so the nearly 26 million people in the U.S. who have type 2 diabetes are faced with the challenge of identifying healthy meal options when dining out.

Basketball legend Earl "The Pearl" Monroe is teaming up with Merck on the Diabetes Restaurant Month program, to challenge restaurants across the country to create diabetes-friendly menu items which are also heart healthy. Diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 1998, Earl has learned how to maintain a diabetes-friendly lifestyle and reduce his risk of serious complications, like heart disease, through a healthy diet and regular exercise, and he aims to inspire others to do the same by making a few small changes every day, including making smart choices while dining out.

People across the U.S. can visit participating restaurants to sample delicious diabetes-friendly dishes during their city's Diabetes Restaurant Month. To date, restaurants in more than 18 cities have participated in Diabetes Restaurant Month, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Raleigh, San Diego, Washington, D.C., and West Palm Beach.

Visit MerckDiabetes.com to find a list of participating restaurants, as well as more than 100 diabetes-friendly recipes, tools for managing diabetes, and information about the basics of diabetes management, including blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol control. The site also provides links to Merck's educational social media platform The Diabetes Dish on Facebook and YouTube (facebook.com/TheDiabetesDish and youtube.com/TheDiabetesDish), for videos, recipes, and downloadable tools.

Learn more

Blood Sugar Basics

The Blood Sugar Basics program was developed by the American College of Endocrinology (ACE) with support from Merck to help people living with diabetes, their families and loved ones learn about the importance of managing blood sugar levels.

Blood sugar control is an essential aspect of diabetes management, and the Blood Sugar Basics program aims to educate people with diabetes about controlling both high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia) and extremely low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia).

Mike Golic, former NFL player and co-host of ESPN Radio's Mike & Mike in the Morning, has teamed up with ACE and Merck on the program and provides a relatable story of his own experience managing type 2 diabetes to help educate others. Golic, diagnosed six years ago, experienced an episode of low blood sugar while exercising and learned the hard way how important it is to address symptoms quickly before they worsen.

The program website, BloodSugarBasics.com, breaks down information on managing low and high blood sugar into easy-to-understand, interactive resources and fact sheets. Visitors can take a quiz to find out how much they know about blood sugar, watch videos from Mike Golic, and download questions to ask their doctor about blood sugar.

Learn more

Managing Diabetes During the Holidays

Cultural and religious holidays are celebrated at different times on the calendar in different parts of the world. If your celebration involves food at a family gathering, consider bringing a diabetes-friendly dish. For 100 diabetes-friendly recipes, visit MerckDiabetes.com.

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