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Diabetes Connections | Type 1 Diabetes

The T1D news show you've been waiting for! Long-time broadcaster, blogger and diabetes mom Stacey Simms interviews prominent advocates, authors and speakers. Stacey asks hard questions of healthcare companies and tech developers and brings on "everyday' people living with type 1. Great for parents of T1D kids, adults with type 1 and anyone who loves a person with diabetes.
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Now displaying: Page 2
Dec 1, 2023

It’s In the News, a look at the top stories and headlines from the diabetes community happening now. Top stories this week: infusion set recall, update on ViaCyte stem cell research, a few new studies look at sleep and diabetes, actual clinical research into cinnamon for type 1 and lots more.

Links & transcript below

Find out more about Moms' Night Out 

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Edgepark Medical Supplies

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com


Episode transcript:

Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and every other Friday I bring you a short episode with the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now.

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In the news is brought to you by Edgepark simplify your diabetes journey with Edgepark

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Our top story this week…

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A recall of infusion sets. This is the VariSoft infusion set used with Tandem Diabetes Pumps. The recall here isn’t new.. but the FDA has changed the rating to Class 1, its most serious. The VariSoft version is flexible and can be put in place at an insertion angle anywhere between 20 and 45 degrees, it’s usually recommended for people “who are thin or who have scar tissue or limiting potential insertion sites.”

The problem is that the connector can detach from the set – which means no insulin is going in. To date, according to the FDA notice, there has only been one report of injury related to the recall.

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/fda-gives-class-i-recall-rating-infusion-sets-used-tandem-insulin-pumps

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An already existing drug may help preserve beta cell function in people with new onset type 1. It’s got a very long name, so it’s usually referred to as DFMO.  It inhibits a pathway, which plays a role in the inflammatory responses in autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes. It's sold under a few names for different conditions, including Vaniqa which is a cream for unwanted hair growth in women. It also has orphan designations for treating various cancers, including neuroblastoma.

The new safety study by Sims and colleagues, which was published November 1 in Cell Medicine Reports, enrolled 41 people with type 1 diabetes that had been diagnosed within the previous 8 months, including 31 children. Participants were randomly assigned to undergo oral treatment with DFMO at one of five doses or placebo for 3 months, with 3 additional months of follow-up.

Following a mixed-meal tolerance test at 6 months, the C-peptide area under the curve ― a measure of beta-cell function ― was significantly higher with the three highest DFMO doses compared to placebo (P = .02, .03, and .02 for 125 mg/m2, 750 mg/m2, and 1000 mg/m2, respectively).

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/998671?form=fpf

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Despite earlier promising findings, it seems unlikely that cinnamon can improve blood sugar levels in people with type 1, or insulin-dependent, diabetes, researchers report.

Previous research has shown that cinnamon appears to help fat cells recognize and respond to insulin. In test tube experiments and in animal studies, the spice led to a noteworthy increase in the processing of glucose. Moreover, in a previous study of people with type 2, or non-insulin dependent, diabetes, those who incorporated a small amount of cinnamon each day for 40 days into their normal diets experienced a healthy drop in blood sugar levels.

But a new study of teenagers with type 1 showed cinnamon made no difference after 90 days .

In fact, "In essentially all outcomes...the trend favored the placebo group, although did not achieve statistical significance," the researchers report.

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cinnamon-diabetes-idUSSIB65463020070406/

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New results from ViaCyte clinical trials – that’s a stem cell-based treatment for type 1 diabetes.  The therapy aims to replace the insulin-producing beta cells that people with type 1 diabetes lack. Dubbed VC-02, the small medical implant contains millions of lab-grown pancreatic islet cells, including beta cells. The devices—approximately the size of a Band-Aid and no thicker than a credit card—are implanted just beneath a patient's skin where it is hoped they will provide a steady, long-term regulated supply of self-sustaining insulin. The clinical trial was conducted at Vancouver General Hospital, with additional sites in Belgium and the U.S. Ten participants, each of whom had no detectable insulin production at the start of the study, underwent surgery to receive up to 10 device implants each.

 

Six months later, three participants showed significant markers of insulin production and maintained those levels throughout the remainder of the year-long study. These participants spent more time in an optimal blood glucose range and reduced their intake of externally administered insulin.

 

One participant, in particular, showed remarkable improvement, with time spent in the target blood glucose range increasing from 55% to 85%, and a 44% reduction in their daily insulin administration.

 

In another ongoing trial, the UBC-VCH team is investigating whether a version of the device containing cells that have been genetically engineered to evade the immune system, using CRISPR gene-editing technology, could eliminate the need for participants to take immunosuppressant drugs alongside the treatment.

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2023-11-stem-cell-based-treatment-blood-sugar.html

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A new look at sleep quality in people with type 1 finding that more time in range means better sleep. No surprise here, but important to quantify. Interestingly, recurrent high or low blood sugar, rather than constant or prolonged higher levels seems associated with worse sleep.

A study in adults with type 1 diabetes showed that 17.7% wake up every night, and 53.5% wake up once or twice a week1. This was a small pilot study – the researchers want to now move to a larger one.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-47351-x

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New study looks at women, sleep and insulin sensitivity. This is a small study, only 40 women, which found that particularly post menopausal women who sleep less 7 hours per night may have impaired insulin sensitivity regardless of body fat.

Nearly 40 women were randomly assigned to either restricted sleep or adequate sleep for 6 weeks, then crossed over to the other sleep condition. During sleep restriction, women slept an average of 6.2 hours per night vs 7-9 hours per night. Both fasting insulin levels and insulin resistance were significantly increased during sleep restriction with more insulin needed to normalize glucose. These researchers say if sustained over time, it is possible that prolonged insufficient sleep among individuals with prediabetes could accelerate the progression to type 2 diabetes

https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/insufficient-sleep-impairs-womens-insulin-sensitivity-2023a1000tlz

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Pregnant women with type 2 who use CGM saw improvement in blood glucose levels but only if they used the device more than 50% of the time during their pregnancy. This study involved high-risk women from regional and remote Australia all with type 2. No changes in diabetes metrics were seen in those who used the CGM only early or late in their pregnancies.

https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20231128/greater-use-of-cgm-linked-to-glycemic-benefits-for-pregnant-women-with-type-2-diabetes

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Commercial

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When it comes to walking and type 2 diabetes risk, it’s not just how much you do it that helps — it’s also how fast you move, a new study has found.

 

Brisk walking is associated with a nearly 40% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life, according to the study published Tuesday in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

 

“Previous studies have indicated that frequent walking was associated with a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the general population, in a way that those with more time spent walking per day were at a lower risk,” said the study’s lead author Dr. Ahmad Jayedi, a research assistant at the Social Determinants of Health Research Center at the Semnan University of Medical Sciences in Iran.

The study authors reviewed 10 previous studies conducted between 1999 and 2022, which assessed links between walking speed — measured by objective timed tests or subjective reports from participants — and the development of type 2 diabetes among adults from the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan.

 

After a follow-up period of eight years on average, compared with easy or casual walking those who walked an average or normal pace had a 15% lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, the researchers found. Walking at a “fairly brisk” pace meant a 24% lower risk than those who easily or casually walked. And “brisk/striding walking had the biggest benefit: a 39% reduction in risk.

Easy or casual walking was defined as less than 2 miles per hour. Average or normal pace was defined as 2 to 3 miles per hour. A “fairly brisk” pace was 3 to 4 miles per hour. And “brisk/striding walking” was more than 4 per hour. Each kilometer increase in walking speed above brisk was associated with a 9% lower risk of developing the disease.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/11/28/health/walking-speed-lowers-diabetes-risk-wellness/index.html

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Not a lot of events happening in December but there are two to tell you about:

Beyond Type 2 virtual summit

https://beyondtype2.org/registration-type-2-diabetes-virtual-summit/

Nov 30, 2023

At Moms' Night Out Providence, I was part of an Ask Us Anything panel that included Moira McCarthy and Kerri Sparling. We had a lot of fun on this panel and a lot of fun at MNO period. If you’re wondering what this event is all about, I think this panel will give you a lot of insight. It’s serious, and humorous, I hope helpful, and it’s all peer to peer – we’re not doctors.

Moira McCarthy’s daughter, Lauren, was marking 26 years with T1D during this event! Moira is a ski, adventure and travel writer. A JDRF International Volunteer of the Year and author of six books including, “Raising Teens with Diabetes.” Her blog Despite Diabetes helped me a lot and she’s left it up as a resource.

Kerri Sparling is a writer, poet and speaker who has dedicated her life to the power of the patient narrative. Best known for the blog and book, “SixUntilMe,” she is the author of “Balancing Diabetes” and “Rage Bolus and other poems.” Kerri has lived with type 1 for 37 years.

Our next MNO is in Charlotte in February

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

 

Find out more about Moms' Night Out 

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Edgepark Medical Supplies

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

 

Nov 28, 2023

This week, Mila Clark became a popular advocate for type 2 diabetes after her diagnosis in 2016 But she was actually one of the many adults misdiagnosed – she actually lives with LADA. One of the biggest changes she experienced was how her health care providers treated her, they were much more supportive when they realized she had LADA – also called type 1.5.

Mila is working to reduce the stigma around all types of diabetes. We talk about her advocacy, her Hangry Woman business, the unique patch pump she’s using and a lot more.

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

Find out more about LADA

Our previous episode with Mila here 

Find out more about Moms' Night Out 

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Edgepark Medical Supplies

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

 

Nov 21, 2023

Do you know your rights with diabetes? Our guest this week is John Griffin, a trial lawyer with more than 30 years of advocating in and out of the courtroom. He lives with type 2 himself – this is an eye opening and useful conversation.  

Griffin served as National Chair of the Board of the American Diabetes Association in 2011, and is the former Chair of the Association’s Legislative and Regulatory Subcommittee. 

Also, if you’ve been given a blood glucose meter you probably know how to use it, but do you know how it works? We’ll explain the chemistry going on here  

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

More information about how your glucose meter works: 

More about c-peptide 

The information explaining Metformin comes from DiaTribe

Find out more about Moms' Night Out 

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Edgepark Medical Supplies

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up today (no spam we promise) 

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

 

Nov 17, 2023

It’s In the News, a look at the top stories and headlines from the diabetes community happening now. Top stories this week: Novo Nordisk will discontinue Levemir by the end of 2024, Tandem begins limited launch of software updates that will include Dexcom's G7, Beta Bionics iLet pump will be covered until some pharmacy plans, and lots more!

Links and transcript below

Find out more about Moms' Night Out 

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Edgepark Medical Supplies

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

 

Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and every other Friday I bring you a short episode with the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now.

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In the news is brought to you by Edgepark simplify your diabetes journey with Edgepark

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This week was World Diabetes Day so there is a LOT going on..

Our top story is

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Novo Nordisk said on Wednesday it would discontinue its long-acting insulin Levemir in the United States, citing manufacturing constraints, reduced patient access and available alternatives.

The Danish drugmaker said supply disruptions would start in mid-January, followed by discontinuation of the Levemir injection pen in April and of Levemir vials by the end of 2024.

Novo has another long-acting insulin, Tresiba, on the market and says quote - "global manufacturing constraints, significant formulary losses impacting patient access effective in January 2024, and the availability of alternative options in the U.S. market" are key factors in the decision.

The announcement comes eight months after Novo said it would cut U.S. list prices for several of its insulin products next year, including a 65% reduction in the list price of Levemir. Novo, which overtook LVMH (LVMH.PA) as Europe's most valuable listed company this year, posted record operating profit for the third quarter, with sales of its obesity drug Wegovy reaching $1.36 billion, up 28% from the previous quarter.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/novo-nordisk-discontinue-levemir-insulin-us-market-2023-11-08/

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Big news from Tandem Diabetes this week – first, their Control IQ algorithm gets FDA approval for children as young as two years old. the technology’s original 2019 clearance limited its use to those aged 6 and older.

And.. they are officially rolling out the software update that will allow users to connect to either the Dexcom G6 or G7 CGM. If you’re in the limited launch you got an email this week telling you the next steps – wider release is expected gradually in the first part of 2024. Integration with Abbot’s FreeStyle Libre is expected very soon as well – which would mean Tandem’s tslim x2 and Mobi pumps would be compatible with three CGMs. Full disclosure: there wasn’t a media release that I received on this, but my son is in the limited launch group so we got the email.

 

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/tandem-diabetes-care-cruises-fda-ok-toddler-use-automated-insulin-delivery-algorithm

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Beta Bionics iLet pump and its supplies are now covered as part of some pharmacy benefits - Express Scripts added it to its national formulary list. Historically, insulin pumps fall under the durable medical equipment (DME) insurance benefit. Usually pharmacy benefits are more flexible with fewer up front costs.

The system uses an adaptive, closed-loop algorithm that initializes with the user’s body weight and requires no additional insulin dosing parameters. The algorithm removes the need to manually adjust insulin pump therapy settings and variables.

iLet simplifies mealtime use by replacing conventional carb counting with its meal announcement feature. This enables users to estimate the amount of carbs in their meal, categorized as “small,” “medium” or “large.” Over time, the algorithm learns to respond to users’ individual insulin needs.

https://www.drugdeliverybusiness.com/beta-bionics-pharmacy-benefit-bionic-pancreas/

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The UK has launched a pioneering study to explore the development of type 1 diabetes in adults which aims to screen 20,000 individuals. Research will enable earlier and safer diagnosis of type 1 diabetes through blood tests. This makes the UK the first country to implement general population screening for type 1 diabetes in both children and adults. The Type 1 Diabetes Risk in Adults (T1DRA) study, launched on World Diabetes Day, seeks to enroll 20,000 adults aged 18 to 70.

Supported by The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and building on the Diabetes UK-funded Bart’s Oxford Family study (BOX), T1DRA aims to unravel the mysteries of adult-onset type 1 diabetes.

https://www.diabetes.co.uk/news/2023/nov/groundbreaking-study-to-screen-20000-adults-for-type-1-diabetes.html

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The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), England’s cost-effectiveness watchdog, has finalized a draft guidance regarding hybrid closed-loop systems, concluding that the technology should be made broadly affordable and accessible to help people with Type 1 diabetes better manage the condition.

In this month’s final draft guidance (PDF), NICE recommended that hybrid closed-loop technology be offered to all people with Type 1 diabetes who are having trouble controlling the condition using their existing devices.

 

NICE said that it has already devised a five-year rollout plan with the NHS to bring the technology to people with Type 1 diabetes. Hybrid closed-loop systems will be offered first to children, young people, existing insulin pump users and women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, after which they’ll be issued to adults who have an average HbA1c reading of at least 7.5%.

https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/nice-recommends-hybrid-closed-loop-systems-type-1-diabetes-prompting-praise-medtronic

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Commercial

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Kyle Banks was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes on November 1, 2015 while performing with the traveling production of Disney’s The Lion King.  Performing nightly for sold out audiences across the country was a dream come true, but after experiencing symptoms of the onset of type 1 diabetes, the dream temporarily turned into a nightmare. The symptoms he experienced were  typical for the onset of this chronic illness. but with limited knowledge of type 1 diabetes, he had no idea what was occurring or the drastic life change that would soon follow.  In 2020, he founded Kyler Cares in partnership with Children’s Hospital New Orleans and has since connected with families from across the country that are living with this disease.  Kyler Cares seeks to improve health outcomes for people of color living with diabetes and ensuring families can access the resources and technology available for better management is the route the organization is taking to achieve that goal.

At Kyler Cares we’re working to improve health outcomes for people of color living with diabetes by improving access to diabetes technology, creating connections to education and resources, and fostering community as an added system of support on our journeys.

Kyler Bear & Friends’ T1 Diaries is an eight-part animated series for kids, dedicated to storytelling about life with Type 1 Diabetes. Our series is more than just an educational tool; it’s a reflection of real-life stories and an avenue to strengthen community ties. It’s a vehicle for us to inspire young people to begin laying a foundation of knowledge and self-confidence with management of T1D that will resonate throughout their lives until a cure for the disease is discovered.

 

By supporting this series with a donation, you will be contributing to a project that not only educates and informs but also offers comfort and a sense of belonging to kids navigating life with T1D. ‘Kyler Bear’s T1 Diaries’ isn’t just a series; it’s a beacon of hope, a source of information, and a testament to the strength found in our amazing T1D community. Join us in bringing these stories to life

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Married At First Sight UK ends this week, but one bride says viewers haven't seen her whole story.

 

Fans will find out if Tasha Jay, 25, decides to stay with partner Paul Liba on the Channel 4 show.

 

But Tasha, who has type 1 diabetes, has spoken out about how footage about her condition didn't make the final cut.

 

While she's "really sad" that it was left out, Tasha's pleased that people are now realising why she behaved in a certain way on the show at times.

 

 

Married at First Sight - or MAFS - is a social experiment where experts match complete strangers who try to live as a couple.

 

Tasha says her wedding day with Paul on the show was a "really beautiful moment" that included her telling Paul about her diabetes and his reaction.

 

"I got filmed taking my insulin and checking my blood sugar," she tells BBC Newsbeat..

Tasha was diagnosed at aged two and half and says people have asked why that part of her was hidden in the show.

 

"And I'm like I didn't hide it," she says.

 

"For whatever reason they haven't shown it, which really upsets me because diabetes is a part of my story."

 

Tasha believes that, if people had known about her diabetes, it would have changed their perception of certain moments in the show.

https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-67368445

Nov 14, 2023

At Moms' Night Out Providence, I was part of an Ask Us Anything panel that included Moira McCarthy and Kerri Sparling. We had a lot of fun on this panel and a lot of fun at MNO period. If you’re wondering what this event is all about, I think this panel will give you a lot of insight. It’s serious, and humorous, I hope helpful, and it’s all peer to peer – we’re not doctors.

Moira McCarthy’s daughter, Lauren, was marking 26 years with T1D during this event! Moira is a ski, adventure and travel writer. A JDRF International Volunteer of the Year and author of six books including, “Raising Teens with Diabetes.” Her blog Despite Diabetes helped me a lot and she’s left it up as a resource.

Kerri Sparling is a writer, poet and speaker who has dedicated her life to the power of the patient narrative. Best known for the blog and book, “SixUntilMe,” she is the author of “Balancing Diabetes” and “Rage Bolus and other poems.” Kerri has lived with type 1 for 37 years.

Our next MNO is in Charlotte in February

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

 

Find out more about Moms' Night Out 

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Edgepark Medical Supplies

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

 

Nov 7, 2023

Dr. Mike Natter took a non-traditional path to becoming an endocrinologist, starting out as an art student. But it turns out, the universal language of drawing can help break down barriers

Mike lives with type 1 – he was diagnosed at age 9. This is a wide ranging interview, we talk about his diagnosis at age 9, finishing his medical residency in NYC during the height of COVID, what he learned from his test run with the new Beta Bionics iLet pump, and a lot more.

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

Find out more about Moms' Night Out 

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Edgepark Medical Supplies

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

 

 

Nov 5, 2023

This is the first episode of our new show, Diabetes Connections TYPE 2.

Here's what we're talking about:

What IS an A1C? What you need to know about this all-important number.

My guest is a sports photographer and journalist. We’re going to talk about what it takes to do that job and how he was diagnosed with diabetes after a tough run in with the Texas heat..

And hey this is our first episode – we’ll get to know each other a little bit.

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

--

A1C information from:

The Mayo Clinic

and the American Diabetes Assocation

More about the history of Diabetes Awareness Month & World Diabetes Day

--

Find out more about Moms' Night Out 

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Edgepark Medical Supplies

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up today (no spam we promise) 

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

 

 

Nov 2, 2023

It’s In the News, a look at the top stories and headlines from the diabetes community happening now. Top stories this week: a new study looks at pancreatic exocrine-endocrine “crosstalk,” weekly basal for T1D moves forward, a Chinese company gets European approval for its CGM, a look at air pollution as a cause of T2D, lots of info and advocacy for Diabetes Awareness Month including some movies and documentaries.

Links and transcript below

Find out more about Moms' Night Out 

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Edgepark Medical Supplies

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

Episode Transcript:

Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and every other Friday I bring you a short episode with the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now.
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In the news is brought to you by Edgepark simplify your diabetes journey with Edgepark
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It’s Diabetes Awareness Month so you’re going to see a lot of advocacy posts and hear about all types of diabetes and technology and advances. It’s always diabetes awareness month around here, so I’m not going to talk about each and every one of these campaigns.. but I’ll share more on social.
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Our top story this week, In the largest study of its kind, researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center have identified unexpected alterations in the exocrine tissues of the pancreas that occur in the two major forms of diabetes, and with aging and obesity.
They’re calling this a report on pancreatic exocrine-endocrine “crosstalk.” I’m not going to do it justice, it’s pretty complex, so please check out the show notes with all the links.
They say their work, published in the journal Diabetes, represents a significant advance in understanding how Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, alter the digestive enzyme-secreting exocrine portion of the pancreas. Not just the parts that make insulin.
The pancreas has been very difficult to study because it is surrounded by other vital organs, hard to access, and it quickly deteriorates. Pancreas tissue for study must come from deceased donors or fragments of surgical specimens and those are hard to come by. This group says they were able to study an unprecedently large and well-preserved group of tissue samples from 119 donors.
https://news.vumc.org/2023/11/01/pancreas-crosstalk-may-influence-course-of-type-1-and-type-2-diabetes/#:~:text=VUMC%20Reporter-,Pancreas%20%E2%80%9Ccrosstalk%E2%80%9D%20may%20influence%20course%20of%20Type,1%20and%20Type%202%20diabetes&text=In%20the%20largest%20study%20of,and%20with%20aging%20and%20obesity.
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Another promising study about Insulin icodec, a once-weekly basal injection – this time for type 1 diabetes. We’ve been following this for a while and the results of the year-long phase 3 clinical trial are in.
After 26 weeks, once weekly basal looks just about the same as daily basal in terms of overall diabetes control. The group that received daily injections had their A1Cs go down to 7.1, the group that got the weekly basal was at 7.15.
These researchers say it’s very promising, but further analysis of CGM data and real world studies are needed to keep moving forward.
https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/weekly-insulin-for-type-1-diabetes-has-the-potential-to-be-as-effective-as-daily-regimens-trial-380487

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air pollution raises risk of type 2 diabetes, says a landmark study out of India. This was a seven year study of 12,000 people and showed Inhaling polluted air increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, the first study of its kind in India has found.
When inhaled, PM2.5 particles – which are 30 times thinner than a strand of hair – can enter the bloodstream and cause several respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. India is one of the worst countries in the world for air pollution. These researchers say
“Until now, we had assumed that diet, obesity and physical exercise were some of the factors explaining why urban Indians had higher prevalence of diabetes than rural Indians,” said Dr V Mohan, chairman of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation and one of the authors of the paper. “This study is an eye-opener because now we have found a new cause for diabetes that is pollution.”
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/nov/01/air-pollution-raises-risk-of-type-2-diabetes-says-landmark-indian-study-acc
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Time-restricted eating, also known as intermittent fasting, can help people with Type 2 diabetes lose weight and control their blood sugar levels, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open from researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago.
Participants who ate only during an eight-hour window between noon and 8 p.m. each day actually lost more weight over six months than participants who were instructed to reduce their calorie intake by 25%. Both groups had similar reductions in long-term blood sugar levels, as measured by a test of hemoglobin A1C, which shows blood sugar levels over the past three months.
Senior author Krista Varady said that participants in the time-restricted eating group had an easier time following the regime than those in the calorie-reducing group. The researchers believe this is partly because patients with diabetes are generally told to cut back on calories by their doctors as a first line of defense, so many of these participants likely had already tried — and struggled with — that form of dieting. And while the participants in the time-restricted eating group were not instructed to reduce their calorie intake, they ended up doing so by eating within a fixed window.
Just over half the participants in the study were Black and another 40% were Hispanic. This is notable as diabetes is particularly prevalent among those groups, so having studies that document the success of time-restricted eating for them is particularly useful, the researchers said.

The study was small a
https://today.uic.edu/intermittent-fasting-diabetes-weight-loss/
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New CGM approved in Europe. Sibionics CGM says they have more than 600-thousand users for their GS1 CGM, mostly in hospitals. It’s a 14 day no calibration system with data sharing. They also make a Continuous Ketone Monitoring System(CKM). The company, based in China, says GS1 CGM products will gradually become available for pre-sales in EU countries, the UK, and other European countries.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sibionics-achieves-milestone-receiving-ce-mark-for-its-groundbreaking-gs1-continuous-glucose-monitoring-system-301974051.html
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Couple of movie updates for Diabetes Month! We’ve been following Pay or Die since it was in production, and it’s now in selected theaters with a digital release on Paramont Plus coming Nov 14th. All about the high price of insulin – and the personal cost – this release means the movie is eligible for an Oscar nomination for best documentary.
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The short film Type 1 is also available to stream.. you may recall we talked to the writer behind this project is Noah Averbach-Katz, who appeared in Star Trek Discovery. His wife Mary Wiseman has a starring role and the whole Star Trek community got behind this project. The two star in the short movie which explores the barriers to insulin access put in place for diabetics through a Type 1 diabetic and his wife during their desperate search for insulin. It’s presented in partnership with
with T1 International and it’s the film directorial debut of Anthony Rapp, the original Mark in RENT and current star of Star Trek: Discovery.
https://playbill.com/article/watch-anthony-rapp-directed-short-film-type-1
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This is where in the past I’ve talked about what’s coming up next week on the show.. well now we have two shows! In the news will appear in both DC1 and DC2 feeds.. but the weekly interview shows will only occasionally cross over. I’ll try this and see how it goes – next week on DC 1 – Dr. Mike Natter – he’s an adult endo who lives with type 1, he’s also an artist and has a huge following on social media. We’ll find out why – he’s also used the new Beta Bionics iLet pump and lets us know what he thinks about that. Next up for DC 2 – professional golfer Ken Duke talks about his diagnosis and how he manages diabetes on tour.
Join us again soon!

Oct 31, 2023

Tandem’s tiny Mobi pump is FDA approved and set for a limited roll out in the next few weeks. We’ve got a deep dive into its features. Mobi is phone controlled, but it has a button that delivers insulin and more..

This week we're talking with Ben Mar, Tandem’s Director of Product Marketing. We go through all of those features, answer a bunch of your questions about Mobi and about what else is coming up for Tandem.

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

More about Mobi: https://www.tandemdiabetes.com/

 

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Oct 24, 2023

It’s been five years since Ryan Reed has been behind the wheel at a NASCAR track. He raced in Vegas earlier this month as part of the Xfinity Cup Series. We talked about what’s changed for his T1D management, how he handles diabetes & driving, why he’s changed to a pump since we last talked and much more. Reed also explains why he appreciates the diabetes community now more than ever.

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

Our previous episodes with Ryan Reed (and one with his mom!)

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Oct 20, 2023

It’s In the News, a look at the top stories and headlines from the diabetes community happening now. Top stories this week: new studies on the safety and efficacy of what's called the pill form of drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, a new study says it may be possible to diagnose a person with type 2 just by recoding their voice, the latest on Tzield, the only drug shown to stave off type 1 for any length of time, how a vegan diet impacts people with T1D, one of the team who discovered insulin gets a long-due honor, and more!

 

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Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now
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In the news is brought to you by Edgepark simplify your diabetes journey with Edgepark
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The next step in GLP-1 research is focusing on oral medications. new study looking at two different versions danuglipron dag-NEW-la-pron and orforglipron ah-for-GLOO-pron
The primary examined outcome consisted of how different the absolute changes in the percentage of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline were between the treatment and control groups. Secondary outcomes included endpoint differences in body weight, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), and heart rate between the treatment and control groups when absolute changes from baseline values were measured.
The preliminary findings indicated that the orally administered small molecule GLP-1RAs danuglipron twice daily from Pfizer and orforglipron once a day from Lilly were effective in weight reduction and glycemic control in individuals with type 1 diabetes, obesity, or both. As compared to the controls, the novel small molecule GLP-1RAs not only resulted in a significant lowering of HbA1c levels in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus but in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes, danuglipron and orforglipron also brought about significant weight reduction.

While the safety profiles indicated that the orally administered danuglipron and orforglipron did not increase the odds of serious adverse reactions or hypoglycemic events, the odds of adverse gastrointestinal events such as diarrhea, nausea, constipation, and vomiting were higher. These adverse gastrointestinal events were also linked to higher odds of treatment discontinuation.
Further, longitudinal studies are required to understand these treatment options' long-term efficacy, tolerability, and safety.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20231017/Oral-diabetes-and-obesity-meds-danuglipron-and-orforglipron-show-promise-but-have-gastrointestinal-drawbacks.aspx
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More news about Tzield to slow type 1 progression in newly diagnosed children and adolescents. Data from the Phase III PROTECT clinical trial, presented at the 2023 Annual ISPAD Conference, showed that superior beta cell preservation was observed compared to placebo.
On average, patients administered with TZIELD required numerically fewer insulin units and had numerically higher time in range, compared to those on placebo. HbA1c reductions and the overall rates of clinically important hypoglycemic events were similar among both study groups.
TZIELD is the first and only disease modifying therapy in type 1 diabetes
An observational extension study following participants for a further 42 months is ongoing.

Release of the PROTECT trial data follows the company’s acquisition of Provention Bio (a Sanofi Company) in April 2023 and therefore represents a key milestone for Sanofi.
https://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/news/187735/sanofi-treatment-could-slow-type-1-diabetes-progression/
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Lots of speculation about what the growing popularity of new diabetes drugs will do to the device market. Abbott says they’re doing just fine.. and that the treatments could end up boosting sales of the medical device maker. Shares have dropped with concerns that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro could hurt CGM sales. Abbott says their sales are actually up this year.
Now, grain of salt, because this is press release info.. but it’s worth noting that the device market is very important to people who use pump systems of course. Most diabetes device analysts do seem to agree with Abbott here.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/abbott-beats-profit-estimates-strong-sales-devices-diagnostics-2023-10-18/XX
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Could a 10-second smartphone voice recording diagnose type 2? This is something else.. biotech firm Klick Labs testing 267 people who had already been diagnosed as being either non-diabetic (192 people) or type 2 diabetic (75 people).
Each person was asked to record a specific spoken phrase on their own smartphone via an app, up to six times a day for two weeks. Depending on the speed at which each individual spoke, those recordings were six to 10 seconds long.
When 14 acoustic features of the resulting 18,465 recordings were analyzed, it was found that several of those features – such as pitch and intensity – differed in a consistent manner between the diabetic and non-diabetic participants. Although these differences couldn't be detected by the human ear, they could be picked up by signal processing software.
This finding suggests that developing type 2 diabetes causes subtle changes in a person's voice.
With that theory in mind, the scientists created an AI-based program that analyzes voice recordings along with patient information such as age, sex, height and weight. When tested on the volunteers, that program proved to be 89% accurate at identifying type 2 diabetic women and 86% accurate at spotting diabetic men.
Those numbers should improve as the technology is refined. For reference, the team found that traditional fasting blood glucose tests were 85% accurate for both sexes, while glycated hemoglobin and oral glucose tolerance tests were 91% and 92% accurate, respectively.
https://newatlas.com/medical/10-second-voice-test-type-2-diabetes/
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Ultrasound may prove a new treatment for type 2 diabetes.. GE HealthCare Technologies is teaming up with Novo Nordisk on peripheral focused ultrasound, a new technology with potential to regulate metabolic function–without drugs, GE HealthCare said in a release. Early-stage clinical research suggests this type of ultrasound can affect diabetes patients’ glucose metabolism by stimulating nerve pathways, the company said.
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/ge-healthcare-teams-up-with-novo-nordisk-to-treat-diabetes-without-drugs-7b679c3e
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New research on diet and type 1 diabetes.. looking at plant based & moderate carb diets. I’ll link up the full results but the upshot here is that portion control, moderate carb, and vegan all worked very well – when you’ve got a dietitian helping you make individual choices. The Vegan diet in particular is interesting, but it was not low carb – some people actually ate more carbs than usual – up to 300 a day – but the fat levels were very low. This group’s insulin sensitivity went was up, and they lost on average 11 pounds. A1C decrease was about the same in all the groups.
“It’s important to have different types of diets that fit with different individuals
https://diatribe.org/type-1-diabetes-new-studies-vegan-and-moderate-carbohydrate-diets-type-1-diabetes
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Improving health insurance coverage is not enough to address existing racial and ethnic disparities in glycemic control among US adults with diabetes. This was a large study by researchers at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. A cross-sectional analysis of more than 4000 US adults with elevated HbA1c, results of the study suggest Hispanic or Latino and non-Hispanic Black individuals were more likely to have poor glycemic control relative to their non-Hispanic White counterparts despite access to care, with investigators noting social, health care, and behavioral or health factors did little to attenuate these apparent disparities.

“Future studies should apply causal frameworks to evaluate the role of other structural barriers contributing to the high burden of poor control among insured Hispanic or Latino and non-Hispanic Black individuals to develop effective interventions,” investigators concluded.1
https://www.hcplive.com/view/racial-disparities-in-diabetes-management-go-beyond-insurance-status-study-finds
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Commercial – Edgepark
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A scientist who helped discover insulin a century ago has been honoured with a memorial in Aberdeen.

John JR Macleod was awarded the Nobel prize for his part in the ground-breaking project – one of the most significant advancements in medical science.

However, the physiologist’s achievements were largely unknown.

Now he has been celebrated in his home city with the unveiling of a new life-sized bronze sculpture.
https://news.stv.tv/north/aberdeen-memorial-for-scientist-john-jr-macleod-who-co-discovered-insulin-unveiled-at-duthie-park
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If you watch the Food Network’s Halloween Cookie Challenge – you can root for the diabetes mom. Chelsea Fullmer’s son lives with type 1. The Food Network says she is a mother, entrepreneur, and passionate baker with her own Central Texas baking business, “Pink Lemon Cookies.” Tune in Monday evening
https://shoptherock.com/round-rock-baker-rises-to-the-occasion-on-food-networks-halloween-cookie-challenge/?fbclid=IwAR3S8vA8JkbtUkVhjg1L6L9CFBIP4v_Nf-p9hWn0VUvFh5RHjDlIy8-YvYo
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Next week I’m talking to Ryan Reed, NASCAR Xfinity driver with type 1 about what got him back behind the wheel. And our last long format episode was all about Dexcom U and student athletes with T1D.
Join us again soon!

 

Oct 17, 2023

Going to college with type 1 is a big adjustment. Going to college as a student athlete with type 1 is on another level. You'll hear from Syracuse University rower Tristan Wakefield about his schedule, how he manages T1D and how he and his parents worked ahead of time to make the transition as smooth as possible.

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

Find out more about Moms' Night Out 

More about the NIL policy here: https://www.ncsasports.org/name-image-likeness

More about Dexcom U here: https://www.dexcom.com/en-us/dexcomu

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

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Oct 10, 2023

A new movie’s in the works about diabetes called "The Cost". It’s fictional, a thriller co-written and directed by Mike Hogan who lives with type 1.

Mike explains more about what the movie is about, how you can help it get made, and what it’s been like following a childhood dream that doesn’t include health insurance.

More info about The Cost here

Contact Mike directly at Mike@tallorderproductions.com

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

 

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Oct 6, 2023

It’s In the News, a look at the top stories and headlines from the diabetes community happening now. Top stories this week: lots of news from the EASD conference, including info from Dexcom, Vertex, and more, the ADA issues new guidelines for CGM use at school around caregivers' ability to follow, a new study says women should be screened at a younger age for type 2 diabetes, and congrats to Lauren Dahlin, who lives with type 1, for qualifying for the Ironman race in Hawaii.

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Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now
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In the news is brought to you by Edgepark simplify your diabetes journey with Edgepark
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Lots of news out of EASD – the European Association for the Study of Diabetes happening this week. Including, a new trial finds that antiviral medications, when given soon after a child is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, might help preserve those vital beta cells.

The team followed 96 children aged 6 to 15 who were all diagnosed with type 1 diabetes within three weeks prior to their enrollment in the study. The children were randomly selected to receive either the two antiviral medicines or a placebo for six months.

After one year of follow-up, the researchers found that C-peptide levels remained "significantly higher" in kids who'd gotten the antiviral treatment compared to those who hadn't. That suggests the treatment helped shield the child's pancreatic beta cells from destruction.

While C-peptide levels dropped a full 24% in children who received the placebo, it fell by just 11% in those who got the antivirals, the investigators found.

On top of that, 86% of kids who'd gotten the antivirals still produced their own insulin at a level that makes treatment with supplementary insulin easier, the team said, and is also known to be linked to lowered risks for diabetes complications.

The treatment appeared to be safe, with no severe side effects noted.

According to Mynarek's team, their research supports the notion "that a low-grade persistent virus infection is an underlying disease mechanism, and that type 1 diabetes may be prevented by development of new vaccines."

The researchers concluded that "further studies should be done at an earlier stage in the disease process, to evaluate whether antiviral treatment could delay the progression of beta-cell damage leading to clinical type 1 diabetes."
https://consumer.healthday.com/type-1-diabetes-2665779376.html
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Also at EASD, an update on once a week insulin icodec for the treatment of type 1 diabetes. While several other studies have investigated once-weekly insulins in type 2 diabetes, this was the first data to be presented from a large-scale phase 3 study in type 1 diabetes.
The study, ONWARDS 6, included 582 people with type 1 diabetes who received either insulin icodec or insulin degludec. Participants had an average age of 44 years and an average diabetes duration of 20 years. Both the icodec and degludec group received basal insulin in combination with mealtime insulin (insulin aspart, or NovoLog) over a period of 57 weeks.

Overall, participants treated with once-weekly icodec and once-daily icodec had similar reductions in A1C of -0.5%, suggesting that this new insulin may offer another option for treating type 1 diabetes.

What were the key findings?
This study showed that insulin icodec was effective at reducing A1C in people with type 1 diabetes, although icodec did lead to higher rates of hypoglycemia compared to degludec.

Researchers are still investigating some questions related to the hypoglycemia events that occurred in this trial, such as how the time of injection and exercise may affect hypoglycemia.
https://diatribe.org/once-weekly-insulins-type-1-diabetes-latest-research-update
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Vertex Pharmaceuticals says a third type 1 patient no longer needs insulin after it’s investigational stem cell-derived therapy VX-880, being assessed for type 1 diabetes.
Two patients who had been followed for at least 12 months likewise met the study’s endpoint of the elimination of serious hypoglycemic events (SHE) between 90 days and 12 months.

Tuesday’s results follow an earlier data drop in June 2023, detailing the first two patients that achieved insulin independence and met the study’s primary endpoint.

The first patient achieved insulin independence 270 days into treatment, lasting through month 24 of the follow-up. The patient had type 1 diabetes (T1D) for “nearly 42 years,” according to Vertex’s announcement, and was taking 34 units of insulin daily.
Insulin independence came on day 180 for the second patient, persisting through 12 months of follow-up. The patient had T1D for 19 years and was taking 45.1 units of exogenous insulin daily. This patient had to restart insulin treatment at month 15, though at a much lower daily dose of four units.

The third patient stopped needing insulin at 180 days of treatment, which happened after the data cut-off, according to Vertex.

Aside from insulin independence, the new data from the Phase I/II study showed that VX-880 induced islet cell engraftment in all participants in parts A and B of the study at 90 days. In turn, these patients are now capable of endogenous glucose-responsive insulin production and demonstrated better glycemic control across various measures, including HbA1c and time-in-range.

Before receiving VX-880, all enrolled participants had long-standing T1D and showed no signs of endogenous insulin secretion and required 34.0 units of insulin per day on average, according to Vertex’s announcement on Tuesday. All patients also had histories of recurrent severe hypoglycemic events.

An investigational allogeneic stem cell-based therapeutic, VX-880 works by delivering fully differentiated and insulin-producing islet cells, in turn restoring the body’s glucose-responsive insulin production capabilities and boosting glucose control. VX-880 is designed to be delivered via an infusion through the hepatic portal vein. Patients need to be on an immunosuppressive regimen to receive the candidate.

Vertex’s T1D program also includes VX-264, an investigational therapy that encapsulates stem cell-derived islet cells in a protective device to be implanted into the patients’ bodies, according to the company’s website. Because the device is designed to shield the therapeutic cells from the body’s response, VX-264 is being studied without the use of immunosuppressive therapies.
https://www.biospace.com/article/vertex-touts-promising-data-for-stem-cell-based-type-1-diabetes-treatment/

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I mentioned Dexcom’s presentation at EASD in our long format interview earlier this week..
One of the company’s studies, for example, recruited insulin users in the U.K. to test out the Dexcom ONE device, which offers a more simplified interface compared to the company’s flagship G-series sensors. Though both Type 1 and Type 2 patients joined the study, Dexcom specifically singled out its results in the Type 2 population: The group saw their average HbA1c levels drop from a baseline of just over 10% to 8.5% after three months, then down to 8.3% after another three months, according to a company release.

The data marked the first real-world study conducted on the Dexcom ONE CGM, Leach said.

Another study presented at the EASD conference this week verified the use of the G7 sensor in pregnant women with Type 1, Type 2 or gestational diabetes—making Dexcom’s G6 and G7 devices the only commercially available CGMs backed by clinical data for use during pregnancy, the company said.
That group makes up about 10% of all pregnancies, he said, and “whether you’re on insulin therapy or not, just the benefit of having a
Supported by those findings, Dexcom said in the release that it now plans to make the G7 sensor available for use with Tandem’s t:slim X2 insulin pump in the U.S. and “multiple markets across Europe and Asia-Pacific” before the end of 2023.
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/easd-dexcom-cgms-notch-wins-among-type-2-and-pregnant-users-and-7-year-real-world-data
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Metformin may lengthen the time until insulin initiation, lower fasting glucose and improve neonatal outcomes for pregnant women with gestational diabetes, according to data from a randomized trial.

In findings presented at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting and simultaneously published in JAMA, researchers compared glycemic, maternal and neonatal outcomes for women with gestational diabetes randomly assigned up to 2,500 mg metformin daily with those receiving placebo. The metformin group had a lower mean fasting glucose at 32 and 38 weeks of gestation, and the offspring of women receiving metformin had a lower mean birth weight than the offspring of those receiving placebo.

Metformin reduces the likelihood for large for gestational age among offspring of women with gestational diabetes.
Infants from mothers in the metformin group had a lower mean birth weight than offspring of mothers from the placebo group (3,393 g vs. 3,506 g; P = .005). The percentage of infants born large for gestational age was lower in the metformin group vs. placebo (6.5% vs. 14.9%; P = .003). Mean crown-to-heel length was shorter in offspring of mothers from the metformin group compared with placebo (51 cm vs. 51.7 cm; P = .02).

“Caution should continue with metformin and small for gestational age, especially in those where small for gestational age may be more likely, so those with hypertension or nephropathy,” Dunne said during the presentation.
https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20231004/metformin-provides-glycemic-neonatal-benefits-for-women-with-gestational-diabetes

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More voices are calling for more screening for type 1 diabetes. About 85% of people with type have no family history.
Various research programs are going on worldwide to establish the best ways of implementing universal screening, including programs in Germany, the USA, Israel, the UK, and Australia. A new program (Edent1fi) has just been funded that will include multiple new European countries, including the UK, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Italy, and the Czech Republic. "These are all research programs. The next steps before universal screening for type 1 diabetes becomes general policy will require guidelines for monitoring and endorsement of screening and monitoring guidelines by applicable societies," explains Dr. Sims. This will also be helped by broader access to disease-modifying therapies to impact progression and the need to start insulin injections.
Screening for adults, who can also develop T1D, is less well studied. Although optimal approaches have yet to be elucidated, this population will also likely benefit from identifying early-stage disease and the advantages of education, monitoring, and access to therapy.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20231003/Universal-screening-A-game-changer-in-early-detection-and-management-of-type-1-diabetes.aspx
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As I mentioned briefly in my last episode, one of the winners of this year’s Nobel prize for medicine has lived with type 1 for almost 60 years. Dr. Drew Weissman and Katalin Karikó won the Nobel for their work on the COVID-19 vaccines received a Nobel Prize of Medicine.
Karikó and Weissman met by chance in the 1990s while photocopying research papers, Karikó told The Associated Press. Weissman was diagnosed at age 5 and I’ll link up a great interview that Mike Hoskins posted – he used to write for DiabetesMine.

http://www.thediabeticscornerbooth.com/2021/02/we-can-thank-this-researcher-with-type.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR254vGL8G0aU3uUnvfHbJa79WCiFgS8ihMgHMf0V2hK2QYJBLaa9zwMn7U
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Should women be screened for type 2 diabetes at a younger age than men? A recent study published in Diabetes Therapy explores this hypothesis – there’s a lot here and I’ll link it up, but they examine the theory that menstruation can throw off an A1C.
Women with diabetes between 16-60 years of age have an increased mortality risk by about 27% as compared to diabetic men of the same age when both are compared to the general population. Women lose an average of 5.3 years from their lifespan with diabetes as compared to 4.5 years for men. The study comprised two cohorts. The first included over 146,000 individuals using a single HbA1c reading at or below 50 mmol/mol obtained between 2012 and 2019. The distribution was replicated using readings from a second cohort of about 940,000 people, whose samples were analyzed in six laboratories between 2019 and 2021.
The mean HbA1c level in women at any given age corresponded to that observed in men up to ten years earlier. These findings were corroborated with data obtained from the second cohort.
An undermeasurement of approximately 1.6 mmol/mol HbA1c in women may delay their diabetes diagnosis by up to ten years. Ten years in which they weren’t being treated.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20231004/The-cut-off-for-HbA1c-based-diagnosis-of-diabetes-may-be-too-high-in-women.aspx

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Very recently, the Americans with Diabetes Association released updated CGM guidance for use in schools. The link to the new guidance is below.
This came about after discussions with stakeholders, including myself and Attorney Roswig. Be clear, this was revised because of the discussions and “rallying” of families impacted, where in some cases schools were pointing to certain flaws in the language in the prior guidance.
While this new guidance may address your CGM issue with your particular school, the new guidance, in our opinion, still needs work. Please know that this work will continue.
If you have any more specific questions, please contact me and I will attempt to address the same. Thank you for your patience, thus far, and anticipated trust and patience going forward. https://diabetes.org/sites/default/files/2023-09/cgm-final-9-22-23.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1t4cpPUSmDoitWiH2hSgNnXWdeYQjPW4rlewjWkWHiOYWc65HX8ub74Yo
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have to show everyone and show myself that this doesn’t change anything,” said Lauren Dahlin about her diagnosis with type 1 diabetes (T1D) at 26 years old in 2017. Today, she’s a true athlete who has competed in nine Ironman races — consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run. Completed within about 14 hours!

This past summer, Dahlin competed in the annual Ironman in Lake Placid, NY. The event came with a lot of pressure because placing within the top 24 racers meant qualifying for the biggest Ironman event of all: the World Championship in Kona, HI.

She did it. Dahlin placed 9th amongst about 600 other female competitors — becoming one of the first women with T1D to qualify for the Ironman in Kona, HI. Happening next weekend Oct 14th

Here’s a closer look at Dahlin’s journey from diagnosis to rockstar competitive athlete.

Diagnosed just days before a potential DKA coma
“I couldn’t even walk half a flight of stairs without getting extremely winded because I was so far gone,” explains Dahlin of her pre-diagnosis symptoms. “The clinic gave me an inhaler for asthma and sent me home!”

Dahlin saw six different providers before someone finally gave her the appropriate diagnosis. They even performed a full-blood panel workup and didn’t diagnose her T1D. Eventually, Dahlin went to the emergency room in Boston, where she lived, and the staff told her she was experiencing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). She then spent ten days in the intensive care unit learning about her new life living with T1D.

“I was bummed that the doctors hadn’t caught my diagnosis earlier because there were a lot of clinical trials happening in Boston that I could have been a part of.”

Regardless, Dahlin didn’t want to slow down — within one month of her diagnosis, she signed up for her first half-marathon.
https://t1dexchange.org/ironman-world-championship-type-1-diabetes/
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That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.

 

Oct 3, 2023

Dexcom’s Chief Operating Officer Jake Leach talks to me about G6, G7, trends in CGM, what the company has its eye on next and answers a lot of your questions.

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

 

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Sep 29, 2023

Bonus episode! Rob Howe is the host of Diabetics Doing Things. He’s also one of the speakers at my Mom’s Night out event coming up in just over two weeks Outside of Dallas, in Frisco Texas.
He’s been going a lot of cool stuff and we were just catching up.. and I thought it would be fun to record a conversation about everything the two of us are working on. So here’s that chat, very little editing and no commercials.
Our regular episodes of course air on Tuesdays – next week’s will be late in the day or maybe Wednesday morning. I’m talking to Dexcom at EASD European Assoc for the Study of Diabetes on Tuesday, so we’ll turn it around as quickly as possible.
Ok, as always, This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

 

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Sep 26, 2023

Off to college, just for caregivers! Stacey took part in a webinar panel hosted by The Diabetes Link to talk about advice and experience all around sending young adults with type 1 diabetes away to school.

She's joined by Anna Sabino, CDCES of Finding Smiles Coaching. The panel is hosted by Diane Rose, director of programs for The Diabetes Link.

A transcript is below

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Sep 22, 2023

It’s In the News, a look at the top stories and headlines from the diabetes community happening now. Top stories this week: a new CGM from Medtronic is approved in Europe, semaglutides for people newly diagnosed type 1 may make a huge difference, a look at Keto diet for kids, Apple teases non-invasive glucose monitoring and Dexcom U is back!

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Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now
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In the news is brought to you by Edgepark simplify your diabetes journey with Edgepark
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Our top this story this week a new CGM from Medtronic gets approval in Europe. It’s called Simplera – an all in one disposable CGM– no fingersticks and no over-tape, which is new for Medtronic. Simplera is integrated with the InPen™ smart insulin pen, which provides real-time, personalized dosing guidance to help simplify diabetes management. Medtronic will begin a phased launch at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 59th Annual Meeting in Hamburg, Germany on Oct. 2-6, 2023.
Simplera™ is indicated for ages 2+ and compatible with iOS and Android. Simplera™ is not approved by the FDA and is limited to investigational use in the U.S. Medtronic's automated insulin delivery (AID) system integrated with this next-generation sensor is currently under review for CE Mark and is not commercially available in the U.S. or in Europe. I’ve reached out to Medtronic – we’ll learn more soon.
https://news.medtronic.com/2023-09-21-Medtronic-Diabetes-announces-CE-Mark-for-new-Simplera-TM-CGM-with-disposable-all-in-one-design
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A small study and a long way to go here, but a weekly dose of semaglutide, helped seven out of 10 patients newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes stop taking insulin after three to six months. Semaglutide is the key ingredient in Ozempic.. approved for type 2 and Wegovy, approved for weight loss. It’s also thought to tamp down the inflammation that can lead to the destruction of insulin-producing cells.
He noted previous research has shown that patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes still have the ability to make some of their own insulin, so the team tested semaglutide in patients within three months of their diagnosis. All ten patients were taking meal time and long acting insulin. After three months, all of them came off meal time insulin, and seven stopped basal insulin. Much more study needed here.. interestingly. Ozempic’s maker, Novo Nordisk noted it didn't sponsor this study and isn't pursuing trials of semaglutide for type 1 diabetes itself,
https://www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news/semaglutide-ozempic-wagovy-type-1-diabetes-insulin-study/

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a widely used diabetes drug that controls blood sugar can also prevent muscle atrophy and muscular fibrosis—which can help the elderly bounce back faster from injury or illness. Researchers from the University of Utah Health have found that Metformin has surprising applications on a cellular level. Their findings were published in the journal Aging Cell.
“We saw two things in our study,” Drummond says. “When participants took Metformin during a bed rest, they had less muscle atrophy. During the recovery period, their muscles also had less fibrosis or excessive collagen. That build-up can make it harder for the muscle to properly function.”

https://scitechdaily.com/researchers-discover-surprising-side-effect-of-common-diabetes-drug/
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Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) say they have created a device for people with type 1 diabetes that may help produce insulin when needed.

Their findings were published on September 18 in The Proceeding of the National Academy of Science.

The MIT engineers reported that the small implantable device could carry hundreds of thousands of insulin-producing islet cells. Previous devices made for the same purpose failed and stopped producing insulin because they ran out of oxygen needed to create the insulin.

To combat this, the scientists created an oxygen factory on the device, allowing it to generate oxygen by splitting water vapor in the body.

The researchers said the device could potentially replace insulin injections in people with type 1 diabetes.

Dr. Caroline Messer, an endocrinologist at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, not involved in the study, explained to Medical News Today:

“Currently, islet cell transplant is limited to patients with a history of severe metabolic complications and consistent failure of insulin-based therapies. Long-term success rates are low, and patients require lifelong immunosuppressive therapy. Conceptually, implantable islet cells that do not require immune suppression and create their own source of oxygen is nothing short of brilliant.”
MIT researchers said the device kept glucose levels stable for at least one month when implanted into mice. The device has not yet been tested in humans.

Researchers hope to create a larger version of the device and test it in people with type 1 diabetes. They expect this device to be about the size of a stick of chewing gum.

“We are eager to see this technology translate, but it does take time,” said Dan Anderson, PhD, the study’s lead author and a professor of chemistry at MIT. “We hope to see this technology in humans within at most four years.”

Although the researchers remained focused on treating diabetes, they indicate this kind of device might be able to be adapted to treat other illnesses that require repeated delivery of therapeutic proteins.

“This technology allows for an improvement in the current approach to implantation of units containing cells that produce insulin in response to blood glucose levels without requiring invasive surgery,” said Dr. Eliud Sifonte, an endocrinologist at NYU Langone Medical Associates, who was not involved in the study.

“Historically, this approach has been difficult to maintain due to an inability to provide a good oxygen supply to those implanted cells,” Dr. Sifonte told MNT.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-a-new-device-may-help-with-insulin-production-for-type-1-diabetes
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Weight Watchers and Abbott announce their new app for people with diabetes. This is a WW app that integrates the use of a Freestyle Libre.
The app helps people with diabetes understand how food and activity impact their glucose levels. WeightWatchers had a team of nutrition and behavioral science experts designed its tailored plan. It aims to help people with type 2 diabetes form helpful habits and meet their health goals.

The plan has demonstrated success in helping people with diabetes lose weight and lower their HbA1c, the company said.
https://www.massdevice.com/abbott-weightwatchers-unveil-connected-diabetes-app/
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Italy celiac
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Keto and other low carbohydrate diets have gained popularity for type 2 diabetes in adults, but there are safety concerns for young people, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) cautioned.

Restricting carbohydrates in young people at risk for or with diabetes raises concerns for growth deceleration, nutritional deficiencies, poor bone health, nutritional ketosis, and disordered eating behaviors, Tamara Hannon, MD, of Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, and colleagues on the AAP Committee on Nutrition wrote in a clinical report to guide care.

Based on demonstrated risks, low- and very low-carbohydrate diets were not recommended for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes, "except under close diabetes care team supervision utilizing safety guidelines," the group wrote in Pediatricsopens in a new tab or window.

Low-carb (<26% of daily calories), very low-carb (20-50 g per day) and ketogenic (<20 g per day) diets limit foods that can be included compared with the typically recommended diet, where 45% to 65% of the total calories come from carbohydrates.

Rather than cutting all carbs, the policy document urged focusing on reducing children's consumption of nutrient-poor processed snacks and sugary beverages but keeping healthy carbs found in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes.

However, there was a warning for clinicians in how they approach these conversations.

Hannon's group pointed to a survey conducted with an international social media-based group of adults and parents of young people with type 1 diabetes who chose to use low- or very low-carbohydrate diets as adjunct treatment. "Respondents reported excellent glycemic control but poor relationships with diabetes care providers associated with distrust and feeling judged about their diabetes management decisions," Hannon and colleagues wrote.

The medical team might do the most good when patients and their families elect to follow these diets by not alienating them.

 

However, they added, "Long-term outcomes of youth following carbohydrate-restricted diets on diabetes and cardiovascular outcomes are needed and may be underreported because of attrition."
For young people with prediabetes or type 1 or 2 diabetes for whom weight loss or maintenance is indicated, pediatricians can counsel them that a reduced energy diet -- irrespective of carbohydrate content -- is most important to that end, the authors noted.

However, any dietary restriction "can be associated with physical, metabolic, and psychological consequences, including risk for disordered eating in children and adolescents, with additional risk for those with diabetes," Hannon and colleagues noted.
As for carbohydrate restriction in young people at risk for or with diabetes, the hope is for more data.

Going forward, "we need longitudinal studies of growth and development in children/families who choose to utilize low-carb diets for the purposes of diabetes management," Hannon told MedPage Today. "We need studies that investigate more longer-term outcomes, including the possible risks and benefits."
https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/generalpediatrics/106386
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DexCom (NASDAQ:DXCM), Tandem Diabetes Care (NASDAQ:TNDM), and Insulet (NASDAQ:PODD) all closed lower Thursday following a report that Apple (AAPL) has named a new head for its project to develop a glucose monitor that doesn't require a skin prick for a blood sample.
Bloomberg reported that VP of Platform Architecture Tim Millet is now heading the project, known as E5. The plan would be to add blood glucose monitor capability to the Apple Watch.
Millet has been with Apple (AAPL) for 19 years.
DexCom fell 3.5%, Tandem (TNDM) was off 4.3%, and Insulet (PODD) lost 1.3%.
https://seekingalpha.com/news/4012056-dexcom-tandem-diabetes-fall-apple-glucose-monitor-new-team-lead
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the global leader in real-time continuous glucose monitoring for people with diabetes, announced today the launch of the second season of Dexcom U, the first-ever NIL (name, image, likeness) program exclusively for college athletes with diabetes, which had its inaugural season last year.

“I’m elated to come back for my second year and continue to show I can accomplish anything while living with diabetes”

Tweet this
Dexcom U is a unique NIL program that was created in response to a 2022 survey which found that improving representation for people with diabetes can inspire future generations of athletes living with the condition. With about 17% of student athletes at Division I institutions participating in NIL activities in 20221 and that number expected to grow, Dexcom U is still the only NIL program designed to celebrate college athletes with diabetes and inspire people with diabetes who have athletic dreams of their own.

Throughout the last year, athletes on the Dexcom U inaugural roster participated in 381 collegiate competitions with the help of Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology. The impact of the program is set to expand in 2023 as the roster size grows by 43%.

“In response to last year’s launch, we heard from parents of young children, coaches and athletes with diabetes who felt seen through the stories of Dexcom U athletes,” said Teri Lawver, Executive Vice President, Chief Commercial Officer at Dexcom. “We’re thrilled to expand the program in year two and continue celebrating these inspirational collegiate athletes while proving that diabetes does not have to hold you back.”

Dexcom not only understands the pivotal role technology plays in helping athletes with diabetes feel and perform at their best, but also the importance of support from others who understand what it’s like to strive for athletic excellence while managing diabetes. A Dexcom survey showed nearly half (48%) of adults with Type 1 diabetes and parents to children with diabetes believe that being aware of a professional or top amateur athlete or celebrity with Type 1 diabetes would be very beneficial for a newly diagnosed individual,2 which is why mentorship continues to be a cornerstone of the program.

The Dexcom U 2023 roster consists of 20 athletes, including 11 new teammates, all who rely on Dexcom CGM to track their glucose levels* and manage their diabetes:

Amber Jackson, Track & Field, University of Louisville
Ava DeStefon, Cheerleading, Clemson University
Beau Corrales, Football, Texas State University
Bri Carrasquillo, Lacrosse, Yale University
Bryce Frederick, Baseball, Towson University
Cade Brown, Baseball, Murray State University
Caleb Fauria, Football, University of Colorado
Dante Vasquez, Football, Springfield College
Isaac Traudt, Basketball, Creighton University
Jaime Ferrer, Baseball, Florida State University
Jaxon Dowell, Golf, University of Oklahoma
Jessica Walter, Softball, Providence College
Joshua Meriwether, Football, Tennessee State University
Leo Giannoni, Baseball, Columbus State University
Madison Moraja, Track & Field, North Carolina State University
Marlee Fray, Soccer, University of Texas at San Antonio
Nicholas Hahne, Cheerleading, University of Notre Dame
Paris Husic, Track & Field, Wake Forest University
Raegan Lantz, Volleyball, Miami University
Tristan Wakefield, Rowing, Syracuse University
“I’m elated to come back for my second year and continue to show I can accomplish anything while living with diabetes,” said Bri Carrasquillo, Lacrosse player at Yale University and second-year member of Dexcom U. “My Dexcom CGM allows me to play at my highest level, while giving me, my coaches and family peace of mind by tracking my glucose levels through the Follow app.† I feel it’s important to educate others about the tools available that have made such a difference in my diabetes management.”

As part of the program, Dexcom has created educational resources for athletes with diabetes as well as for parents, coaches and teammates so they can better understand the disease and how to support the people with diabetes in their lives. Resources include first-hand advice from Dexcom U athletes as well as tips for managing diabetes, exercise and mental wellbeing – on and off the field.

“It’s a privilege to join such a special group of athletes and shed light on the important mission of Dexcom U,” said Dante Vasquez, football player Springfield College and first-year member of the program. “Not only does being part of Dexcom U give me confidence to perform at my highest levels with my Dexcom G7, but it empowers me to be a mentor and inspire the next generation of athletes with diabetes.”
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230919150027/en/Dexcom-U-Kicks-off-2023-Season-With-Expanded-Roster-of-Athletes-With-Diabetes-Building-on-First-of-its-Kind-NIL-Program
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Sep 19, 2023

This week, it’s one thing to push yourself when you live with type 1 diabetes.. we talk a lot about extreme athletes with T1D, but it’s another thing to live with diabetes when others rely on you for their safety. Sarah Janin is an outdoor adventure guide for sports like rock climbing and ice climbing and avalanche education.

Sarah was diagnosed with type 1 as a toddler, in a time before meters, let alone CGMs, and is incredibly honest about her struggles. She’s thriving with diabetes now and she shares what she does to keep herself and her clients safe in the outdoors that she absolutely loves.

More about Sarah here

 

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

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Sep 12, 2023

Most of us wouldn’t think twice about using someone else’s emergency glucagon if our child or another adult needed it. But that’s something a school nurse or other health care provider could lose their license over. Now, some states are passing legislation to make it easier for anyone to use any one’s rescue glucagon.

We talk to Georgia State Rep. Doug Stoner and his wife, Trip Stoner, a long-time diabetes advocate who lives with type 1 about what they were able to get passed in their state, what you can do to take action in yours, and what they’re planning next to help people with diabetes.

Find your legislators here 

Read Georgia's glucagon bill here 

Contact Doug here: Rep.DougStoner@gmail.com

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Sep 8, 2023

It’s In the News, a look at the top stories and headlines from the diabetes community happening now. Top stories this week: Abbott acquires Bigfoot, a new study looks at low-dose aspirin to prevent type 2, researchers look into whether the AI ChatGPT can answer FAQs about diabetes, Beyond Type Run is back for the NYC Marathon, and more!

Our previous episode with Bigfoot Biomedical: https://diabetes-connections.com/?s=bigfoot

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Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now
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In the news is brought to you by Edgepark simplify your diabetes journey with Edgepark
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Our top story this week – Abbott scoops up Bigfoot Biomedical. The deal is expected to close later this year – no financial terms yet disclosed. Abbott and Bigfoot have worked together since 2017 on a connected insulin pen system. Bigfoot Unity exclusively works with Abbott's FreeStyle Libre® Long time listeners will recall that Bigfoot was founded in 2015 around serving people with type 1 diabetes with a closed loop pump system that Byran Mazlish had developed for his wife and son. Mazlish was very secretive at first about the algorithm – this was before people were sure the FDA wouldn’t crack down on them – so a journalist nicknamed him Bigfoot. Along the way, the company pivoted to CGM connected SmartPens. I believe Bigfoot was my third interview, back in 2015 – I’ll ink up all of the interviews I’ve done with them in the show notes.
https://diabetes-connections.com/?s=bigfoot
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/abbott-to-acquire-bigfoot-biomedical-furthering-efforts-to-develop-personalized-connected-solutions-for-people-with-diabetes-301918254.html
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Low-dose aspirin reduces the risk for type 2 diabetes among older adults and slows the increase in fasting glucose levels over time, new research finds.

The data come from a secondary analysis of ASPREE, a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of healthy adults aged 65 years or older, showing that 100 mg of aspirin taken daily for about 5 years did not provide a cardiovascular benefit but did significantly raise the risk for bleeding. It’s a big study, more than 16-thousand people.

This new analysis shows that individuals taking aspirin had a 15% lower risk for developing type 2 diabetes and that the medication slowed the rate of increase in fasting plasma glucose, compared with placebo, during follow-up.

However, lead author Sophia Zoungas, MBBS, PhD, head of the School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia, says, "Major prescribing guidelines now recommend older adults take daily aspirin only when there is a medical reason to do so, such as after a heart attack… Although these new findings are of interest, they do not change the clinical advice about aspirin use in older people at this time."
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/996058
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A class-action lawsuit filed against Medtronic (NYSE: MDT)+
alleges that the company’s insulin delivery devices shared patient data with third parties.
The lawsuit — filed by the plaintiff “A.H.” in U.S. District Court in Central California — levels allegations against Medtronic and its MiniMed and InPen devices. It addresses MiniMed’s transmission and disclosure of personally identifiable information and protected health information to Google and other third parties.

Per the lawsuit, the data was transmitted via tracking and authentication technology, including Google Analytics, Crashlytics, Firebase Authentication and related tools. A.H. says these technologies, installed on the website and/or mobile applications, include the InPen iOS and Android applications.

“Information about a person’s health is among the most confidential and sensitive information in society, and its mishandling can have serious consequences, including embarrassment, discrimination, and denial of insurance coverage,” the lawsuit reads.

A Medtronic spokesperson issued the following statement via email:
We have strong processes, technologies, and people in place to safeguard and protect our information and systems, the information of our business partners, and most importantly, the privacy and safety of the patients and healthcare providers that use our products.”
https://www.massdevice.com/lawsuit-patient-data-sharing-medtronic-diabetes/
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Interesting new way to look at type 2 – not weight loss or medication, but about reducing how much blood glucose goes up and stays up after eating and drinking. University of Virginia Daniel Cox says this is called Glucose Everyday Matters, or GEM – aims to prevent blood sugar spikes via educated food and drink selection. This is coupled with physical activity to hasten recovery when blood-sugar spikes do occur. So someone might indulge in a piece of fruit or a small, sweet treat, knowing how it will affect them, and then go for an evening stroll to help even out their blood sugar.
Sounds really simple, but in its first study, it helps almost 70-percent of people put their type 2 into remission without weight loss or medication.
The National Institutes of Health has provided $3.5 million for a large-scale clinical trial
Cox himself went from an A1C of 10.3 at the time of diagnoses to reading consistently under 6.0 for the past 13 years on no medication using his approach.
https://newsroom.uvahealth.com/2023/08/31/radical-new-approach-to-managing-type-2-diabetes-receives-3-5-million/

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Final preparations are in place to initiate the first clinical site for DIAGNODE-3 in the United States, and additional sites are expected to be initiated over the coming months. Approximately 10-12 clinical sites across the US are planned to be initiated, expanding the DIAGNODE-3 trial in the US and eight European countries to approximately 60 clincal sites in total. DIAGNODE-3 is designed to confirm the efficacy and safety of the antigen-specific immunotherapy Diamyd® in patients aged 12 to 29 years recently diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and carrying the genetic HLA DR3-DQ2 marker.
Approximately 40% of all screened patients carry the genetic HLA DR3-DQ2 haplotype. This proportion aligns well with expectations based on previous Diamyd® clinical trials and published epidemiological research. Supported by published retrospective analyses and prospective clinical trials, the presence of the genetic HLA DR3-DQ2 haplotype determines the likelihood of responding to Diamyd® therapy, and serves as one of the main inclusion criteria in the DIAGNODE-3 trial.

"Patient recruitment is a complex and central element in any trial and it is encouraging to see a significant and continuous uptick in the screening rate and that the observed frequency of the genetically defined responder group enrolled into DIAGNODE-3 confirms our previous observations", says Ulf Hannelius, President & CEO of Diamyd Medical. "This shows the operational and clinical feasibility of our precision medicine approach to Type 1 Diabetes and we look forward to expanding the trial to the United States".
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/registrational-phase-iii-trial-type-142600082.html
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A low-carbohydrate diet during pregnancy may have some benefits in gestational diabetes, but overall, low-carbohydrate diets are not associated with any significant differences in outcomes. That was the conclusion of a presentation at the ADA Scientific Sessions. That was back in June but I just learned about it, so I’m passing along to you in case you missed it as well.

During a debate at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, Amy M. Valent, DO, MCR, associate professor in the division of maternal-fetal medicine in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Oregon Health & Science University, said identifying

Teri L. Hernandez, PhD, RN, associate dean of research and scholarship in the College of Nursing and professor in the department of medicine and the division of endocrinology, metabolism and diabetes at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, agreed that the first line of therapy with gestational diabetes is nutrition. However, Hernandez said, low-carbohydrate diets are not the only approach in gestational diabetes treatment with nutrition.
Currently, dietary advice for treating gestational diabetes is inconsistent, and current professional guidelines have limitations and biases, according to Valent. Different diet strategies include low-carbohydrate, low glycemic index and total energy restriction eating plans, according to Valent. Valent said ACOG guidelines recommended a low-carbohydrate diet for gestational diabetes until the most recently revised edition in January.

Valent reviewed several major landmark studies demonstrating that gestational diabetes treatment can decrease pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia and large for gestational age infants.

“These studies were in the era where treatment of diabetes in pregnancy involved recommending a low-carbohydrate diet,” Valent said. “The concern with lowering carbohydrates is the risk of consuming lower nutrient-dense foods and resulting in the body to produce ketones, which may be associated with negative effects on the developing baby.”

“Pregnancy is dynamic. Nobody’s the same today as they were yesterday. They’re going to be different 1, 2 or 3 weeks from now, and the nutritional demands and the fetal growth and development stage are going to be different,” Valent said. “So, nutritional demands are going to vary.”

Hernandez also added that women and girls tend to be priced out of good nutritional patterns, which is an issue not only in the pregnancy field, but also in the global community. According to Hernandez, it is important to create ways moving forward to identify what nutritional patterns are best that are also affordable for families, especially in lower-income settings.
https://www.healio.com/news/womens-health-ob-gyn/20230905/experts-debate-benefits-of-lowcarb-diets-for-gestational-diabetes

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Commercial – Edgepark
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Can ChatGPT help answer questions about diabetes?
In a recent study published in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers tested chatGPT, a language model geared for discussion, to investigate whether it could answer frequently asked diabetes questions.

In the present study, researchers evaluated ChatGPT's expertise in diabetes, especially the capacity to answer commonly requested questions related to diabetes in a similar manner as humans.
The 'Frequently Asked Questions' section of the Diabetes Association of Denmark's website, viewed on 10 January 2023, included eight questions. The researchers designed the remaining questions to correlate to particular lines on the 'Knowledge Center for Diabetes website and a report on physical activity and diabetes mellitus type 1.

Across the 10 questions, the proportion of correct responses ranged from 38% to 74%. Participants correctly identified ChatGPT-generated replies 60% of the time, which was over the non-inferiority threshold. Males and females had 64% and 58% chances of accurately recognizing the artificial intelligence-generated response, respectively. Individuals who had past contact with diabetes patients had a 61% chance of precisely answering the questions, compared to 57% for those who had no prior contact with diabetes patients.
In contrast to the initial premise, participants could discern between ChatGPT-generated and human-written replies better than tossing a fair coin.
While ChatGPT demonstrated some potential for accurately answering frequently asked questions, issues around misinformation and the lack of nuanced, personalized advice were evident. As large language models increasingly intersect with healthcare, rigorous studies are essential to evaluate their safety, efficacy, and ethical considerations in patient care, emphasizing the need for robust regulatory frameworks and continuous oversight.

https://www.news-medical.net/news/20230905/Can-ChatGPT-be-a-diabetes-consultant-Study-probes-the-potential-and-pitfalls.aspx
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SAN MATEO, Calif., Aug. 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- On November 5, diabetes nonprofit Beyond Type 1 will join more than 550 official charity partners and philanthropists raising awareness and funds while participating in the world's largest marathon, the TCS New York City Marathon. This year, the organization is expanding its 50-person team, Beyond Type Run, to include people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, as well as caregivers to those living with diabetes.

"Since 2017, we've featured more than 200 runners on our teams who've exemplified what it means to survive and thrive with diabetes," said Beyond Type 1 CEO Deborah Dugan.

Beyond Type 1 announces the 2023 NYC Marathon team to raise awareness and funds for people living with diabetes

As a part of the Beyond Type Run team, runners will be advocating to raise awareness and funds for Beyond Type 1's portfolio of educational resources, awareness campaigns and peer-to-peer support programs for people impacted by diabetes. This advocacy is elevated through the NYRR Official Charity Partner Program, which offers opportunities for nonprofit organizations to raise funds to support their missions and services.

Dexcom and Tandem Diabetes Care are presenting sponsors of Beyond Type Run for a fourth consecutive year.

The TCS New York City Marathon Official Charity Partner Program has raised more than $440 million for more than 1,000 nonprofit organizations since its establishment in 2006.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/team-of-50-individuals-impacted-by-diabetes-prepare-for-the-2023-tcs-new-york-city-marathon-301909163.html
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MNO update
On the podcast next week.. tandem diabetes celebrity panel from friends for life – Hollywood, the NFL and NASCAR. Last week’s episode was Benny off to college

That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.
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Sep 5, 2023

This week, a new project to show an adventurous side of diabetes. a documentary about extreme athletes with type 1. The film makers are interviewing snowboarders, kayakers and professional athletes like Indy Driver Conor Daly and Soccer's Jordan Morris.

Director Dylan Leonard talks to me about why he wanted to make this movie – he lives with type 1 – how they’re going about it and why he thinks – in an age when we can see people with T1D doing all sort of amazing things – like playing in the NFL or serving on the Supreme Court – this type of film is still needed.

This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your health care provider.

Breaking Limits GoFundMe page

There's another T1D-focused movie fundraising right now as well. Check out "The Cost" here

DOFFLEs (Dads of Friends for Life) info here: https://www.facebook.com/CWDiabetes

Learn more about Moms' Night Out

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

 

 

Aug 29, 2023

Meet three young adults who are all in the spotlight AND have type 1 diabetes. NFL player Chad Muma, actor Mary Mouser, and professional race car driver Ryan Reed took part in a panel discussion at this summer's Friends for Life conference. The moderator is CNN correspondent Oren Liebermann, who also lives with T1D.

I attended this panel in person and thought it would be fun to bring to a wider audience.

One of the things you don’t hear is a short film about Chad Muma that was shown at the start of the panel.. it’s a great look at how he kept his dream of playing in the NFL going after his diagnosis. You can watch it here:

https://www.tandemdiabetes.com/resources/community/team-tandem/tandem-ambassadors/chad-muma

Note: Mary Mouser, Chad Muma, and Ryan Reed have compensation agreements with Tandem Diabetes Care. Individual experiences may vary.

RX ONLY. The t:slim X2 insulin pump with Control-IQ technology is indicated for patients with type 1 diabetes, 6 years and older. BOXED WARNING: Control-IQ technology should not be used by people under age 6, or who use less than 10 units of insulin/day, or who weigh less than 55 lbs. For full safety information, visit: https://bit.ly/2OKAQsw

Don't miss Moms' Night Out - a new event just for moms of children with diabetes:  https://diabetes-connections.com/events/

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

 

 

Aug 25, 2023

It’s In the News, a look at the top stories and headlines from the diabetes community happening now. Top stories this week: Amazon Pharmacy will automatically apply insulin coupons, a new study shows A1Cs are going down for people with T1D who have access to technology, pollution and gestational diabetes study and a wild study that looks at how a parasite might help prevent type 2.

Don't miss Moms' Night Out! 

Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!

Take Control with Afrezza 

Omnipod - Simplify Life

Learn about Dexcom 

Check out VIVI Cap to protect your insulin from extreme temperatures

Learn more about AG1 from Athletic Greens 

Drive research that matters through the T1D Exchange

The best way to keep up with Stacey and the show is by signing up for our weekly newsletter:

Sign up for our newsletter here

Here's where to find us:

Facebook (Group)

Facebook (Page)

Instagram

Twitter

Check out Stacey's books!

Learn more about everything at our home page www.diabetes-connections.com 

Reach out with questions or comments: info@diabetes-connections.com

Transcript: 

Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines happening now
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In the news is brought to you by Edgepark simplify your diabetes journey with Edgepark
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Amazon’s online pharmacy will automatically apply manufacturer-sponsored coupons to more than 15 insulin and diabetes medicines to help patients access discounts pledged by the drug industry.
With the new program, patients using Amazon Pharmacy will no longer have to search for and manually enter coupons from the three largest insulin makers, Novo Nordisk (NOVOb.CO), Eli Lilly (LLY.N), and Sanofi (SASY.PA), to lower the cost of their insulin to as little as $35 for a month's supply, the company said.
Novo, Lilly and Sanofi announced in March that they would slash their insulin prices by at least 70% by or in 2024, but many reports some patients were finding it difficult to get already discounted generic insulin from pharmacies at the promised lower price.
Amazon Pharmacy will also automatically apply available discounts to diabetes-related medical devices from manufacturers Dexcom and Insulet, including continuous glucose monitors and pumps, as well as to other cardiometabolic medicines such as Novo's powerful weight-loss drug Wegovy.
https://www.reuters.com/business/retail-consumer/amazon-pharmacy-automates-discounts-help-insulin-patients-get-pledged-prices-2023-08-15/

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New study will look at Liver Targeted Insulin (LTI) in Type 1 diabetes.. Directing insulin action to the liver may help restore normal liver physiology for people with Type 1 diabetes, leading to better glucose control and overall health outcomes. Jeremy Pettus and a team of researchers are working to determine the mechanism of action and evaluate the safety profile of the Liver Targeted Insulin
Pettus lives with type 1 and is an endocrinologist who is also the xx at TCOYD.
“Living with Type 1 diabetes is extremely tough,” said Pettus. “One of the major barriers to helping patients with Type 1 diabetes achieve normal glucose levels is that injected insulin simply does not get to the ‘right’ places. Normal insulin has its main effects in the liver, but patients with Type 1 diabetes must inject insulin into the fat tissue. Doing so makes the insulin act very slowly, can lead to weight gain and can cause deadly low blood sugars. This project seeks to attach a molecule to insulin that can help direct it to the liver. In doing so, much of the normal physiology may be restored and patients may get better results.”

Pettus is working with the company Diasome to conduct a single center clinical study with 14 patients with Type 1 diabetes to test the safety, tolerability and effectiveness of the novel LTI.

If this study finds that the LTI is active and preferentially targeting the liver, the findings could spur research and development efforts in the LTI space, leading to additional clinical trials and eventually a novel insulin available that could help improve clinical outcomes.
https://today.ucsd.edu/story/2m-grant-drives-research-on-novel-insulin-in-type-1-diabetes
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Good news about A1c reduction in people with type 1.. but it’s limited for those with access to technology.
The new findings from a study involving patients at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes Adult Clinic between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2021. They show that as technology use has increased, A1c levels have dropped in parallel. Moreover, progression from use of stand-alone continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) to automated insulin delivery systems (AIDs), which comprise insulin pumps and connected CGMs, furthered that progress.
On the flip side, A1c levels rose significantly over the study period among nonusers of technology. "We cannot rule out provider bias for not prescribing diabetes technology among those with higher A1c or from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds," Karakus and colleagues write.

Also of note, even with use of the most advanced AID systems available during the study period, just under half of patients were still not achieving A1c levels below 7%. "The technology helps, but it's not perfect," Shah observed.

This study is the first to examine the relationship of A1c with technology use over time, in contrast to prior cross-sectional studies. "The intention here was to look at the landscape over a decade," Shah said.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/995738
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Can a parasite help with type 2 diabetes? This is kind of gross but very true.. In the first clinical trial of its kind, a team led by scientists from James Cook University in Australia inoculated volunteers with human hookworm larvae (Necator americanus) to see if these parasites can improve their metabolic health. The two-year study included 24 participants, each of whom showed heightened insulin resistance at the start of the trial.
By the end of the investigation, researchers found those who were infected with hookworms showed a significant reduction in their insulin resistance scores compared to those who were given a placebo.
In recent decades, scientists have noticed that in places where parasitic worms are endemic, people report fewer metabolic and inflammatory diseases. I’m sure I don’t have to say this – but more study is needed. No one is recommending you try to get a parasitic infection
https://www.sciencealert.com/radical-trial-shows-hookworms-may-protect-people-from-type-2-diabetes
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https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/simple-blood-test-may-predict-future-heart-kidney-risk-for-people-with-type-2-diabetes
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Exposure to air pollution early in pregnancy—and even shortly before conception—increases a woman's risk of developing gestational diabetes, according to a new USC study out in The Lancet Regional Health—Americas.
"Interestingly, we found gestational diabetes risk wasn't associated with long-term air pollution exposure but was associated with air pollution in a relatively short but critical periconceptional window, from five weeks before to five weeks after conception," said first author Zhongzheng "Jason" Niu, a postdoctoral fellow in population and public health science at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
The researchers also found the association between air pollution and gestational diabetes was more pronounced among study participants experiencing prenatal depression.
The mechanism connecting ambient air pollution and gestational diabetes remains unclear, researchers say, but an interplay among impaired glucose metabolism, inflammation and hormonal changes could be to blame. Prenatal depression, with disrupted immune and hormonal functions, could make the case worse.
https://news.usc.edu/209509/exposure-to-air-pollution-early-in-pregnancy-increases-risk-of-gestational-diabetes-study-finds/
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Commercial – Edgepark
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A look at Tandem’s bolus by phone feature shows it seems to be helping people with “low bolus frequency” give insulin more. Last year, the t:connect app was updated to allow people with the tslim x2 pump to initiate bolusing from a smart phone or the pump itself. This study looked at those who gave less than three boluses per day prior to the smartphone bolus update – the media number was 2.2. After the smartphone option, that number rose to 2.7.
https://journals.sagepub.com/eprint/QYVHSJUZKND8JJAKRUTG/full
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Great story from Diabetes Daily about two brothers with type 1 who are creating a low or almost no sugar beer. This is in Ireland and I don’t know exactly how to explain it quickly..
“Normally, the reason that the beers have sugar in them – which is what will mess with your blood sugar levels – is that there are unfermentable sugars that remain in the beer, sugars that the yeast isn’t able to convert into alcohol. It’s just a byproduct of how you make it. But this enzyme glucoamylase actually breaks down these unfermentable sugars and makes them into fermentable sugars, so the yeast can convert all of the sugar into alcohol, and there will be no sugar left in the beer at all.
Brut beers are usually done in a clean, bitter, highly fizzy IPA style, almost like a beery champagne, but Seán has tried the glucoamylase in other recipes as well.

“Normally it’s only a pale ale or IPA that people put this enzyme into. But I really like German wheat beers. So I decided I’d try and make a wheat beer with this enzyme as well.”

“It did exactly what it was supposed to do. You end up with no sugar at the end, and a really tasty beer. So I’ve been doing it with a few others – a rye, and a Kolsch, and all the sugars completely ferment out.”

“We’ve had some fun in naming them as well. The first one, the IPA style, we call it Insulin, because it keeps the levels down. The wheat that I like to make we have now called Diawheaties.”

And his non-diabetic friends approve:

“Everyone seems to like it. They tend to be quite nice, easy-drinking beers. We wouldn’t make them just for the zero sugar if they were no good. They’re as good as the normal beers.”
https://www.diabetesdaily.com/blog/how-two-irish-brothers-with-type-1-diabetes-brew-their-own-zero-sugar-beer-689869/
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MNO update
On the podcast next week.. tandem diabetes celebrity panel from friends for life – Hollywood, the NFL and NASCAR. Last week’s episode was Benny off to college

That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.

 

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