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New Spanish-language Consumer Guide compares Oral Diabetes
Medications
Newswise — Pastillas para la
diabetes tipo 2, a new consumer guide for
Hispanic adults who have type 2 diabetes and
need information to help them compare
various oral medications for their illness,
has been released by the Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality.
Diabetes is one of the most
serious health issues facing Hispanics in
the United States. AHRQ data show that
nearly one in eight Hispanics take a
prescription drug for diabetes.
“This guide offers critically
important information to help Hispanics who
have diabetes control their disease and
avoid side effects,” said AHRQ Director
Carolyn M. Clancy, M.D.
She added that providing
information in Spanish will help efforts to
get Hispanic patients more involved in their
own health care and to eliminate racial and
ethnic disparities in health care.
The guide organizes
comparative research results according to
diabetes patients’ concerns and questions
and assists them in using research results
when talking with health care professionals
about their diabetes medicines.
The guide compares 10 generic
and 13 brand-name diabetes medications and
explains how each works to lower blood
sugar, which of them may increase body
weight, which may cause side effects such as
stomach problems or swelling and each pill’s
potential effect on “bad” and “good”
cholesterol.
The guide also warns patients
to be alert for problems such as
hypoglycemia – too-low blood sugar – which
can be caused by certain diabetes pills, as
well as other potential side effects.
In addition, the guide
provides an easy-to-understand comparison of
the dose and average cost of each generic
and brand-name diabetes medication and the
appropriate dose when taken in combination.
Information in the guide is
based on the recent AHRQ-funded report,
Comparative Effectiveness and Safety of Oral
Diabetes Medications for Adults with Type 2
Diabetes.
That report, based on
scientific evidence found in 216 published
studies, summarizes the effectiveness, risks
and estimated costs for 10 diabetes
medications.
It was produced by AHRQ’s
Effective Health Care Program, an ongoing
federal initiative that compares alternative
treatments for health conditions.
The program is intended to
help patients, doctors, nurses and others
choose the most effective treatments.
Pastillas para la diabetes
tipo 2, the English-language version called
Pills for Type 2 Diabetes, and other
publications from AHRQ’s Effective Health
Care Program for consumers and clinicians
can be found online at
http://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov .
The consumer guides can be ordered free of
charge by sending an e-mail to
ahrqpubs@ahrq.hhs.gov or by calling
1-800-358-9295.
Note to Editors: For
information on a new, nationwide campaign in
Spanish to encourage more adults to visit
their doctors for preventive health care to
help identify and treat diabetes and other
conditions, go to
http://www.ahrq.gov/superheroes.
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