A world wide alert, a pandemic, has recently ben declared because of the swine flu (also called the H¹N¹ flu), an illness spread by a virus. There are several significant point that can noted on this condition:

Although transmitted by a virus, only those with some underlying weakness seem to get it, usually a weakness in the respiratory system. Family members and close associates appear to be totally immune. (Please see my booklet on Influenza for more details.)

All viral infections throughout history afflict a certain amount of the population and then disappear; if you think of all the virus-based diseases you can remember, you will see this is correct.

We, as a nation, and the world get excited about infections such as the H¹N¹ virus (as we should) but seem calloused to more serious diseases which have, unfortunately, become constants in our lives; i.e., heart disease, strokes, cancer, etc.

We have a true pandemic today and it is not associated with a virus. It kills hundreds of thousands and disables many more. Generally accepted and not viewed as a real problem because it has not, as yet, been labelled as such by the medical fraternity.

The disease is hypoglycemia and diabetes. I link them together because diabetes is almost always preceded by hypoglycemia which is not as easy to diagnose and does not create as many difficult physical problems. It thus becomes very necessary to understand one in order to understand the other.

I wish to make it clear that type 1 (or inherited diabetes) does not fall into this category and is really a separate disease totally different from type 2 diabetes, the progression of hypoglycemia to adult insulin-dependent diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a different disease and to those of you who want to know more about it, please read Dr. Richard K. Bernstein's two books: Diabetes Type 1 and particularly Diabetes Solution published by Little, Brown and Co. Dr. Berstein invented the glucometer but to get the medical association to even acknowledge him and his invention, he had to attend medical school and receive his credential! Dr. Bernstein is a type 1 diabetic who was dying from this disease; he literally cured himself without insulin and drugs.