U.S. says ‘too many’ Americans with diabetes are too reliant on medication

By LAURA FLETCHER SAN ANTONIO (AP) Many Americans with type 2 diabetes rely on insulin injections to control their blood sugar levels.

Now, some are becoming addicted to the drug.

The American Diabetes Association says more than 4.3 million Americans with the disease have a sugar level of more than 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), a threshold at which they have trouble keeping their blood sugars down.

The association’s chief executive, Dr. Peter Fuhrman, says the number of people with diabetes who are using the drug is rising.

He says about 3 million Americans use the drug every day.

Fuhrmann says the problem is not just limited to diabetes, and that insulin injections are increasingly becoming the new standard of care for patients who cannot get insulin through the conventional means of treating diabetes.

Fuggetts’ prescription of insulin has grown in popularity since the advent of insulin pumps.

He said it helps control blood sugar and has helped him lose weight, which is crucial for patients with type 1 diabetes who have to constantly monitor their blood glucose levels to avoid complications from blood sugar spikes.