There’s a new and updated edition of the American Diabetes Association Complete Guide to Diabetes out! My parents gave me the 2nd edition when I was diagnosed. I’m sure the 3rd and 4th editions each went through their updates and changes, but when I picked up the new 5th edition recently, I can hardly recognize it. The layout has changed, there’s more information on health care systems, insurance and men’s and women’s health – the book has a completely different look and feel.
Flipping through the book, I noticed some great tips sprinkled through each chapter (like the definitions of basal insulin and bolus insulin, the history of World Diabetes Day and – oh yikes – hospital meals). Here’s a quick run-down of the contents of this comprehensive guide:
Part I – Diabetes 101
From history lessons of the first recorded mention of diabetes in history (around 1500 BCE) to current celebrities with diabetes, this is a quick (but interesting) overview of the disease.
Part II – Types of Diabetes
Type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes are the most common types, each with their own set of symptoms, causes and risk factors – but nothing is quite that simple. In-depth information on how types of diabetes differ, including a shout-out to LADA!
Part III – Monitoring Diabetes
From the basics of monitoring your diabetes to the latest monitoring tools, this section goes over the importance of monitoring and some of the most common barriers. It even includes a chapter on what to do in a blood glucose emergency (and how to prepare for one)!
Part IV – Managing Diabetes
Setting your blood glucose goals (and why they’re so important), healthy eating (which is important for everyone, whether or not they have diabetes), exercise and physical activity (getting started and the different types of exercise), medications for type 2 diabetes, and a whole chapter on insulin (which includes all those sine waves I remember from calculus class). Yes – this is by far the longest section in the book!
Part V – Complications of Diabetes
This goes through both physical complications and mental health disorders with a focus on how to prevent them. It also includes a chapter for each men’s health and women’s health.
Part VI – Diabetes and Health Care
Who should be on your diabetes health care team and how often you should see each provider. This also has chapters on how to navigate the health care system and insurance systems!
Part VII – Life with Diabetes
Of course, everything I’ve already listed could qualify as “life with diabetes” but this section brings special attention to the emotional side of diabetes – from coping with diabetes to families and children with diabetes, and even includes a chapter on work, school and travel!
Part VIII – Resources
This includes sample forms for school and contact information for groups and organizations that focus on related concerns from diabetes complications to discrimination.
When it comes to diabetes, self-care is key and this book serves as a premier patient-oriented book good for people living with diabetes, their caregivers and their health care team – all based on the American Diabetes Association’s Standards of Care for diabetes management.