Watch Out For Phony Diabetic Cures

As the number of people diagnosed with diabetes continues to grow, illegally sold products promising to prevent, treat, and even cure diabetes are flooding the marketplace.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is advising consumers not to use such products. They may contain harmful ingredients or may be otherwise unsafe, or may improperly be marketed as over-the-counter (OTC) products when they should be marketed as prescription products. They carry an additional risk if they cause consumers to delay or discontinue effective treatments for diabetes. Without proper disease management, people with diabetes are at a greater risk for developing serious health complications.

"People with chronic or incurable diseases may feel desperate and become easy prey. Bogus products for diabetes are particularly troubling because there are effective options available to help manage this serious disease rather than exposing patients to unproven and risky products," said Gary Coody, R.Ph., national health fraud coordinator for FDA. "Failure to follow well-established treatment plans can lead to, among other things, amputations, kidney disease, blindness and death."

These products are sold as dietary supplements; alternative medicines, such as ayurvedics;(a traditional system of healing arts that originated in India) prescription drugs and over-the-counter drugs, including homeopathic products: Examples of claims observed on these illegally marketed products include:

• "Lower your blood sugar naturally."
• "Lowers A1C levels significantly."
• "You'll lower your chances of having eye disease, kidney disease, nerve damage and heart disease!"
• "It can replace medicine in the treatment of diabetes."
• "For Relief of Diabetic Foot Pain."

Undeclared ingredients can cause serious harm. If consumers and their health care professionals are unaware of the actual ingredients in the products they are taking, these products may interact in dangerous ways with other medications. One possible complication: Patients may end up taking a larger combined dose of the diabetic drugs than they intended, and that may cause a significant unsafe drop in blood sugar levels, a condition known as hypoglycemia.

FDA also looked at sales of prescription drugs from fraudulent online pharmacies. Signs that indicate an online pharmacy is legitimate include: requiring that patients have a valid prescription; providing a physical address in the U.S.; being licensed by a state pharmacy board; and having a state-licensed pharmacist to answer questions. Some fraudulent online pharmacies illegally sell drugs that are not approved in the United States, or sell prescription drug products without meeting necessary requirements.

Diabetics is a serious condition that should be treated by your doctor.