Even if you don’t have diabetes now, Big Pharma is hoping you soon will

Will you ‘catch’ diabetes on your next visit to your doctor?

Finally, some good news about diabetes!

The CDC reports that after almost 20 years of steadily going uphill, it looks like new cases of type 2 diabetes in the U.S. have finally come to a standstill.

It was starting to look like we were all on a runaway train to diabetes land. But in 2012 those figures started to fall, and then level out.

Now, while that sounds like something we should all be happy about, it seems not everyone is.

So something is being done about it.

The plan is to “give” as many people diabetes as possible.

When you see your doctor, the decision to screen you for diabetes — or not — is usually made on several “risk” factors.

Are you thirsty or hungry all the time? Do you seem to be peeing a lot more? Another reason you may be tested is if your blood pressure is high.

Those yardsticks for diabetes testing came directly from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. That’s a panel of medical experts that publishes guidelines for doctors to follow about when to test or treat for diseases.

And in keeping with those guidelines, a lot of us were told that we needed to have our blood sugar tested.

But a “lot” wasn’t enough for Big Pharma. Especially with those numbers of diabetes cases leveling off.

So here’s the plan to keep those numbers going up instead of down.

Novo Nordisk, which makes several drugs for diabetics (such as Victoza), wants as many of us to be tested for diabetes as possible. Even if we don’t have any of those risks that I just told you about.

Now if you’re thinking, “so what’s wrong with getting a simple finger prick to see if I have diabetes,” hold the phone. Because there are some very good reasons why this is a really bad idea.

And don’t think the group of experts who wrote the testing guidelines didn’t think about that question, too.

Its conclusion was that testing everyone would lead to gigantic numbers of us being called “abnormal.” Not perfect, but not diabetic either.

In other words, millions would be slapped with the “pre-diabetes” label. And millions who don’t have the disease will end up leaving their doctor’s office with a prescription.

In Europe, regulators don’t even use the term pre-diabetes. Over there it’s called “non-diabetic” high blood sugar!

But Novo has a number of schemes to get its plan in place. The really big prize would be, of course, if that task force would buckle under and change its guidelines to suit them.

But when you’ve got millions to spend on advertising and web sites and “sponsorship” of some of the most influential diabetes groups, why just put all your eggs in one basket?

First, the drug maker started an online “publication” to push its plan, complete with lots of good quotes from the American Diabetes Association. Novo already gives big bucks to the ADA, so that’s no surprise.

Next, Novo is trying hard to make us believe that just about everyone needs to be tested. Its web site (“Ask.Screen.Know.”) urges you to take its risk test immediately.

All you need to be is over 45 to be told that you have “1 or more type 2 diabetes risk factors,” and “the time is now” to get screened. Then you can click on a page with a list of suggested questions to ask your doctor, including “how long will I have to take medicine?”

Its other web site is for people on Medicare, called the Medicare Diabetes Screening Project.

First comes a scare pitch about how many on Medicare are undiagnosed. From there you can find a “tip” sheet telling you what to say to your doctor so your screening will be free.

But even “free” is too high a price to pay for millions to end up on risky drugs to treat a disease they don’t even have.

Sources:
“U.S.rate of type 2 diabetes stabilizes, CDC reports” Melissa Healy, September 23, 2014, The Los Angeles Times, latimes.com

“Drug company tries to change diabetes testing guidelines” Elizabeth Barbehenn, Ph.D., September 2014, Public Citizen Health Letter, citizen.org