Dip a Stick test provides accurate way to detect signs of diabetes

Allie Beatty knows all too well that early detection of diabetes can significantly reduce the risk of additional complications.

"My diabetes was not diagnosed until I was an adult and I paid the price," says Beatty. "I had 29 years of complications that included a coma, strokes, partial blindness, and kidney failure.

"There are over 8 million people in the US who have diabetes and don't know. I want to do something for those people, enabling them to get medical help before it's too late."

Beatty has reinvented Dip a Stick, a simple test for diabetes. The user just dips the stick into a cup of urine and the color-coding on the dipstick indicates the level of glucose. There's no need for a blood sample or a doctor visit.

Dip a Stick provides an accurate way to detect signs of diabetes and is inexpensive, painless and easy to use.

"Regular urine checks with Dip a Stick will help identify signs of diabetes," Beatty says. "It's important that you discuss the results with a healthcare provider. My experiences in life have given me the opportunity to develop a way for others to live a healthy life with early diabetes detection."

Beatty needs some help, however, in marketing this new product. The budget for manufacturing, shipping and publicizing Dip a Stick is about $40,000. To generate this capital, she has launched an Indiegogo campaign at www.indiegogo.com/projects/dip-a-stick-for-diabetes--2.

Donations of any amount are welcome. For a $20 contribution, backers will receive a package of Dip a Stick dipsticks. These are available in the US only and shipping is free.

Beatty, an active diabetes advocate, also has a free newsletter, Allie's Voice About Diabetes, which can be accessed at www.alliesvoice.com. The newsletter, available through e-mail subscription, reports on cutting-edge diabetes research and includes product reviews and videos on relevant topics.

"According to healthcare providers, early detection and proper management of diabetes is instrumental to living a healthy life," says Beatty. "This type of campaign to raise awareness of diabetes was not around in 1985 when I was diagnosed.

"Using Dip a Stick to detect diabetes is as important as wearing a seat belt to reduce injury in a car accident."