How Actor Paul Sorvino Deals with Diabetes

Actor Paul Sorvino, living with type 2 diabetes, and his daughter, Academy-award winning actress Mira Sorvino, have teamed up with Sanofi-aventis U.S. to launch “Diabetes Co-Stars.”

It is an awareness program aimed to help people living with diabetes and those who support them.

“‘Diabetes Co-Stars’ will help inspire people to find support for their diabetes journey,” says Paul. 

“After my diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, I was completely overwhelmed. I realized the importance of learning how to manage the condition, and that I don’t have to do it alone. I also worked with my doctor to discuss lifestyle changes and to find a treatment plan that works for me.”

Paul was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in 2006 and at the direction of his doctor, he began taking prescription oral diabetes medications, but Paul was still not reaching his blood sugar goals.

He asked his doctor about Lantus (insulin glargine [rDNA origin] injection) in the Lantus SoloSTAR pen and began taking the insulin treatment once a day at the same time each day as part of his overall diabetes treatment plan, which also includes regular exercise, a healthy diet and oral diabetes medications.

The most common side effect of insulin, including Lantus, is low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which may be serious. Some people may experience symptoms, such as shaking, sweating, fast heartbeat and blurred vision.

While treatment and lifestyle changes continue to help Paul on his diabetes journey, having support from his daughter Mira has also helped him to make the right decisions.

“After my dad was diagnosed, I realized that I needed to quickly educate myself about his condition so that I can always be equipped with the right tools to help keep him on track with his treatment plan,” says Mira. 

“I encourage everyone living with or touched by diabetes to visit www.DiabetesCoStars.com to learn more and hear my dad and me talk about our experiences living with his diabetes.”

Diabetes is a chronic, widespread condition in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin, the hormone needed to transport glucose (sugar) from the blood into the cells of the body for energy.

More than 230 million people worldwide are living with the disease and this number is expected to rise to a staggering 350 million within 20 years.

It is estimated that nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, including an estimated 5.7 million who remain undiagnosed.

At the same time, approximately 40 percent of those diagnosed are not achieving the blood sugar control target of A1C < 7 percent recommended by the American Diabetes Association (ADA). The A1C test measures average blood glucose levels over the past two-to three-month period.

Sanofi-aventis U.S. is an affiliate of Sanofi-aventis, a leading global pharmaceutical company.