| With almost 21 million Americans
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| | said Alan Marcus, M.D., FACP, FACE,
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| suffering from diabetes, the disease is
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| | global director of medical affairs and
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| fast becoming the country's next
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| | chief officer of Medtronic Diabetes.
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| epidemic. While nearly two-thirds of the
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| | "Patients can now see the exact effect
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| children and adults with diabetes have
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| | that diet, exercise, medication and sleep
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| been diagnosed, unfortunately, an
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| | have on their glucose values in three-,
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| estimated 6.2 million people are unaware
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| | six-, 12- and 24-hour increments."
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| that they have the disease. Diabetes can
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| | The Guardian REAL-Time System glucose
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| lead to serious consequences and
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| | sensor is a tiny electrode inserted under
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| premature death, but patients with
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| | the skin that measures glucose levels,
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| diabetes can take action to control the
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| | providing patients with better protection
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| disease and lower the risk of
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| | against frequent blood-sugar highs and
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| complications.
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| | lows.
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| Once diagnosed, one of the biggest
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| | Developed by Minneapolis-based medical
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| challenges is making sure patients check
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| | technology company Medtronic, Inc., the
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| their glucose (blood-sugar) levels. If
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| | Guardian REAL-Time System is indicated
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| patients with diabetes allow their levels
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| | for continuous or periodic monitoring of
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| to rise and fall without control, it can
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| | glucose levels of adults (ages 18 and
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| lead to severe consequences. Good
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| | older) with diabetes for the purposes of
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| diabetes control can reduce the
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| | improving diabetes management. The
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| likelihood of certain long-term
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| | Guardian REAL-Time System sensor is
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| complications, including blindness,
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| | connected to a transmitter that sends
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| kidney failure, amputation, impotence and
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| | glucose readings every five minutes to a
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| heart disease.
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| | monitor, which displays up to 288
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| The U.S. Food and Drug Administration
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| | readings a day-nearly 100 times more
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| (FDA) recently approved the Guardian(R)
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| | information than conventional monitoring
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| REAL-Time System, a doctor-prescribed
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| | based on three fingersticks a day. The
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| continuous glucose-monitoring (CGM)
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| | Guardian REAL-Time System will be made
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| system. Unique features only available
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| | available nationwide by Spring 2007.
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| with the Guardian REAL-Time System
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| | While insulin pump therapy is currently
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| include alarm systems designed to warn
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| | prescribed for the Type 1 diabetes
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| patients of significant blood-sugar
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| | population, the Guardian REAL-Time System
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| changes before they become dangerous.
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| | may be more in demand by the larger Type
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| "The real-time information and trend data
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| | 2 population, which consists of 90 to 95
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| provided by the Guardian REAL-Time System
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| | percent of all diagnosed cases of
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| are designed to help patients more
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| | diabetes worldwide.
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| tightly control their glucose levels,"
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