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| |  National Diabetes Month Stresses Need For Awareness And Education TWINSBURG, Ohio, Nov. 19, 1996 -- November is National Diabetes Month, focusing attention on a serious disease that afflicts approximately 16 million Americans. Public awareness of diabetes is a year-round concern, however. The pharmacists at Revco Drug Stores note that there are things everyone should know about this disease to ensure early detection, proper treatment and a longer life. Diabetes is the sixth leading cause of death by disease in the United States. African Americans have a thirty to forty percent higher rate of diabetes than white Americans, and women get this disease almost twice as often as men. Almost one-half of Americans with diabetes don't even know they have it. If you have not been diagnosed with diabetes, you should be aware of warning signs that might warrant a visit to your doctor. If you have diabetes, you should stick to a strict treatment regimen to control the disease. There are two types of diabetes. Type I, or insulin-dependent diabetes, afflicts about 10 percent of American diabetics. This type usually develops during childhood and requires frequent insulin injections for survival. Common symptoms include frequent urination, unusual thirst, rapid weight loss, extreme fatigue and nausea. Type II diabetes is far more common, affecting 90 percent of diabetes sufferers in the U.S. This non-insulin-dependent diabetes affects adults and the onset is very gradual. Symptoms include any of those associated with Type I, as well as blurred vision, drowsiness, itching, a slow wound healing, excessive weight gain and numbness in the feet. Therapy for this type of diabetes involves changes in diet, regular exercise and weight loss. If you are diabetic, there are a number of precautions you should take, particularly with the approaching holiday season, when schedules tend to be hectic. Your Revco pharmacist reminds you to: -- When traveling, always take enough of your supplies (insulin, syringes, glucose testing equipment) for your trip, plus an extra week's supply. -- In cold-weather climates, avoid exposing your feet to extreme temperature changes and frostbite, which is more likely to lead to gangrene in diabetics than in non-diabetics. -- With all of the tempting holiday feasts around, be extra careful not to overeat or binge. Strict dietary control is absolutely critical in controlling diabetes. -- With the onset of winter colds and flu, be sure to ask your pharmacist about sugar-free, alcohol-free and aspirin-free cough and cold preparations available over the counter. Sugar, alcohol and aspirin found in many medications can aggravate a diabetic condition. With early detection and proper treatment, diabetics can lead long, satisfying lives. Always see your doctor at the first sign of any medical problem, and remember that your local pharmacist can answer any questions you have about diabetes control and therapeutic supplies for diabetics. The pharmacists at Revco Drug Stores provide a personalized Patient Advisory Leaflet to help advise consumers on the proper use of the prescribed medication they are receiving. See your local Revco pharmacist for answers to your questions about prescription drug safety. Revco D.S., Inc. (NYSE: RXR), recognized as a Fortune 500 company, operates more than 2,200 stores in 14 Midwestern, Southeastern and Eastern states, and is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RXR.
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