Bogus Cures for Diabetes on the Internet

A joint effort of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has resulted in warning letters to 180 companies in the United States, Mexico and Canada who are marketing diabetes treatments online. They have been warned that unless they correct the fraudulent claims about diabetes treatments on their websites, they will be subject to enforcement action (which can include a seizure of products, civil litigation, and criminal prosecution). By law, manufacturers of such products are not allowed to claim that a product will treat, cure, or prevent disease, though they can say that these supplements can improve the structure or function of the body if the assertion is backed up by research. However, some firms have violated the law by saying that their products could replace standard diabetes treatments like metformin or insulin, which could convince people to replace or reduce their treatment regimens. A list of products named by the FDA and FTC accompanies appears below.  

Public Citizen’s Health Research Group (HRG) has consistently advocated lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise as the primary the treatment for Type 2 (adult onset) diabetes. Six of the 12  oral diabetes drugs listed on worstpills.org are categorized as Do Not Use drugs.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a non-communicable disease in which the body either does not produce adequate amounts of or improperly uses the hormone insulin. Without insulin, glucose is unable to enter and re-fuel the body’s cells, which require glucose to function, just as a car requires gasoline to run.

There are two major types of diabetes. Type 1, or insulin-dependent, diabetes is less common. The American Diabetes Association estimates that between five and 10 percent of diabetics have this form of the disease. Even though it is not clear what causes type 1 diabetes, family history seems to be a good predictor. This form is usually diagnosed in patients younger than 20 years old, and it must be treated with close monitoring of blood sugar and multiple daily injections of insulin.

Somewhere between 90 and 95 percent of diabetics have type 2, or “adult onset”, diabetes. Type 2 is a combination of insulin production deficiency and inability to adequately use insulin. Because the body generally has not stopped producing insulin altogether, type 2 diabetics are often able to control the disease through diet and exercise alone.  

Diabetes in the U.S.: The Epidemic in Numbers