Resources and Patient Groups

Home Page: http://www.drwf.org.uk/

Diabetes Research & Wellness Foundation is a registered charity established in the United Kingdom in 1998. Their long-term mission is to discover a cure for diabetes and in the meantime to support, advise and educate people living with diabetes and the general public.

Home Page: http://www.dh.gov.uk/PolicyAndGuidance/HealthAndSocialCareTopics/Diabetes/fs/en

Home Page: http://www.bupa.co.uk/
Diabetes Type 1 Info: http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/diabetes1.html
Diabetes Type 2 Info: http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/html/diabetes2.html

BUPA is the leading provider of private healthcare insurance, hospitals and healthcare services in the UK. Their website offers free online health information from trusted medical experts.

There are two types of diabetes - Type 1 (insulin dependent) and Type 2 (non-insulin dependent) - and both variants are covered online at BUPA. Their site explains exactly what diabetes mellitus ("sugar diabetes") is and the roles that glucose and insulin play in its effects on the body. Symptoms, diagnosis and treatments are all discussed along with how to monitor and regulate blood sugar levels.

Home Page: http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/index.asp
Condition Info: http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleId=128&sectionId=15584

NHS Direct Online is a website providing comprehensive health advice for people living in England - and is supported by a 24-hour helpline.

The operation of insulin, glucose and the pancreas are fully explained here, along with the different effects of Type I and Type II diabetes. Warning symptoms are listed (excessive thirst, excessive urination, fatigue, weight loss) and the process of a diagnosis discussed (your GP will ask for a urine sample or blood test). Treatment is also touched upon (insulin injections, insulin pump therapy, diet change, etc).

Home Page: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health
Condition Info: http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/diabetes/index.shtml

BBC Health offers a complete A-Z illness listing, with related articles and guides plus a messageboard where users can share their experiences.

The BBC offers the facts on diabetes in layperson's terms as well as advice on living with the condition and how to go about treating it. The latest research can also be found here - along with a series of personal stories submitted by other sufferers. There are useful contacts to support groups and other organisations, too.

Home Page: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/home.htm
Condition Info: http://www.diabetes.org.uk/diabetes/index.html

Diabetes UK is the largest organisation in the UK working for people with diabetes, funding research, campaigning and helping people live with the condition.

Here you will find out exactly what diabetes is, how to recognise the symptoms and who is most at risk. Perhaps the most enlightening element of this site is the section dedicated to debunking common myths - such as the misconception that diabetics are more susceptible to other illnesses or can't play sport. Their site also has a section dedicated to research and a specialist area for healthcare professionals.

Home Page: http://www.diabetes.co.uk/

Diabetes.co.uk is a one-stop information portal for the diabetic community. On their site you will find information on anything about diabetes - from diabetic symptoms to facts about insulin and diabetic travel insurance.

The sheer number of topics covered on this portal is impressive and provides a wealth of resources for the diabetic individual. On their site you can learn about how diabetes is linked to such diverse subjects as metabolics, smoking, dentistry, pregnancy, depression and sex. Type I and Type II diabetes are also discussed in detail - and you can also read the real-life stories of other sufferers.

Home Page: http://familydoctor.org/
Condition Info: http://familydoctor.org/347.xml

Family Doctor is operated by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) - a national medical organisation representing more than 93,700 family physicians. All information on their site has been written and reviewed by physicians and patient education professionals.

There is a lot of useful information on offer here. You can find out who is at risk from diabetes, what you can do to reduce that risk - and the different factors that determine its possibility (weight, age, family history, race/ethnic background, poor diet, lack of exercise, etc). They also offer a handy weight/risk chart that will help you to assess if you are at risk from diabetic symptoms.

Home Page: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/index.shtml
Condition Info: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diabetes/index.shtml

NetDoctor.co.uk is a collaboration between committed doctors, healthcare professionals and patients in the UK. Their website aims to break down the "medical language barrier" between doctor and patient and offers a large online encyclopaedia of diseases and related medicines.

Here you will find a number of useful factsheets dealing with topics such as diabetes in children, diabetic kidney disease, diabetic neuropathy, diabetic retinopathy, foot and leg ulcers, hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose), insulin treatments, gestation diabetes (pregnancy) and "nocturia" (night-time urination). They also discuss the different insulins used to treat diabetes along with oral blood sugar medicines.

Home Page: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/index.htm
Condition Info: http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/intro/index.htm

NDCI was established in 1978 to increase knowledge and understanding about diabetes among patients, healthcare professionals and the general public.

This US website gives a good overview as to what diabetes is and how it is diagnosed. The role of physical activity and eating are discussed along with medicines and preventative measures. A special section offers advice for children and adolescents affected by diabetes - and there are further site sections on offer that deal specifically with complications, statistics and clinical trials.

Home Page: http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/hp.asp
Condition Info: http://www.medicinenet.com/diabetes_mellitus/article.htm

MedicineNet.com is an online healthcare media publishing company. It provides easy-to-read, in-depth and authoritative medical information for consumers via a robust, user-friendly and interactive website.

Medicine Net offers a real dissection of diabetes - they look at what diabetes is, what causes Types I and II, how to spot the symptoms and the subsequent diagnosis. Acute and chronic complications are discussed along with helpful explanations of how insulin regulates the levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Pancreas transplantation is touched upon along with the latest news and research in this field.

Home Page: http://www.diabetes.com.au/
Condition Info: http://www.diabetes.com.au/diabetes.php?regionID=2&page=overview

The International Diabetes Institute was formally opened in 1985. Its vision is to find a cure for or a means of preventing diabetes and its complications and to provide care to meet the needs of those who have diabetes or are at risk of developing it.

This site is a complete resource for most aspects of diabetes - you will find full, up-to-date information on subjects such as impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), pregnancy and diabetes, children and diabetes, travelling and diabetes, diabetic recipes, genetics, epidemiology, research, risk factors, training and education and even an online risk test.