Living with diabetes doesn’t have to be the impediment to a productive life that it once was.

According to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, 2008 saw $171 million invested in researching cures and treatment. What all this means for the 23.6 million Americans afflicted with diabetes, is that there are many new medical innovations and simple lifestyle changes that can help keep the disease in check.

Precautionary Measures

The most important precaution for those with diabetes is to constantly track blood glucose levels. Fortunately, there are a variety of blood glucose meters to choose from, each one fitting the needs and budget of most patients. There is even word of a special tattoo on the horizon that will change color when blood sugar levels change.

Maintaining oral health and hygiene is also important, as people with diabetes are at higher risk of gum problems.

Keeping Limbs Healthy

Even with the requisite maintenance involved, diabetes can still lead to other, far more troubling, health problems. Diabetics can be prone to circulatory problems in their limbs and to foot ulcers, which left untreated can eventually lead to deformity and possibly even amputation. But treated properly and early, limbs can potentially be saved. One product that has been found to be effective treating ulcers in several trials is Medihoney, a dressing now being widely adopted in hospitals and wound care centers to dress wounds and burns. Available in multiple formats for a wide variety of wound types, it’s a great way to keep a small problem from becoming much bigger.

New Treatments Coming

A number of trailblazing ways to treat diabetes could also be on the way. While pancreas transplants have shown to treat the ailment, there are several newer less-invasive developments being studied.

For instance, Derma Sciences (DSCI), the company behind Medihoney, is in the midst of clinical trials testing DSC127, a new drug believed to activate a type of stem cell in a patient’s own body. What this ultimately does is help treat the lower-extremity ulcers that have proven to be such a problem in dealing with diabetes. If the product is approved for market, it could empower patients in a whole new way.

The key is to stay current on new treatments to deal with the daily challenges of diabetes. Over the past few years, diabetes research has come a long way. And considering the first insulin pump had to be strapped to a patient’s back like a knapsack, living with the ailment could soon become easier and safer than it has ever been.