Every Woman's Guide to Diabetes: What You Need to Know to Lower Your Risk and Beat the Odds »

Dr. Stephanie A. Eisenstat is an internist with Women's Health Associates at Massachusetts General Hospital and Assistant Professor of Medicine and Scholar at The Academy, Harvard Medical School. She directs a course for physicians in training, Trauma and Injury Control, and is co-editor with Dr. Carlson of Primary Care of Women, one of the first medical textbooks devoted to the emerging specialty of women's primary care.

Ellen Barlow is a medical writer and owner of Barlow Communications.

David M. Nathan, M.D., is Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Diabetes Center at MGH. He is the author of Beating Diabetes (Harvard Medical School Books).

Women have long needed a book devoted to their unique issues with diabetes. This up-to-date and practical guide advocates simple lifestyle changes that can help women reduce their risk of getting diabetes or, if already diagnosed, prevent the disease’s most serious complications. Every Woman’s Guide to Diabetes translates the latest findings from diabetes research into proven strategies busy women can use to stay healthy and gain control over an often overwhelming disease. The authors discuss the nature of diabetes, helping readers through the complex medical decisions involved in diabetes treatment. They highlight strategies to decrease the emotional stress and social isolation that often accompany diagnosis, and offer everyday techniques for managing blood sugar.

Key features include:

• unique aspects of diabetes for women throughout the life cycle


• timetable of recommended tests and check-ups


• guide to medications with common dosages


• charts to help organize diabetes-care tasks and supplies


• time-management tips for better disease regulation


• guide to contraceptives available to women with diabetes


• review of issues critical to women before, during, and following pregnancy


• advice for overcoming barriers to weight loss and exercise


• plan for intelligent diet trade-offs while still enjoying meals


• practical tips for planning exercise


• strategies to avoid diabetes “burn-out”

Written by two physicians, one of whom is a woman living with diabetes, and an experienced medical writer, Every Woman’s Guide to Diabetes recognizes the power that women have in their households to effect lifestyle changes that will benefit themselves and loved ones, including their mothers, daughters, sisters, and partners. This power can reduce the toll of the diabetes epidemic.

Preface   Stephanie A. Eisenstat     ix
Preface   David M. Nathan     xii
The New Epidemic     1
Diagnosis     18
Prevention     37
Medical Complications     74
Reproductive Health and Sexuality     112
Psychosocial Impact     150
Management of the Disease     178
Common Questions and Resources     225
Appendixes
Body Mass Index (BMI) Table     259
Carbohydrate Counts for Common Fruits, Vegetables, Starches, and Dairy     262
Sample Grocery List for Healthful Eating     264
Choosing a Blood Glucose Meter     266
Mixing Different Kinds of Insulin     269
Disposing of Syringes     270
Insulin Pumps and Other Insulin Delivery Systems     271
Over-the-Counter Medications and Diabetes     273
Complementary (Alternative Medicine) Treatments     274
Your Diabetic Targets     276
Glossary of Terms     277
References     289
Acknowledgments     298
Index     299