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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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Diabetes Connections | Type 1 Diabetes
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Now displaying: April, 2022
Apr 29, 2022

It’s “In the News…” Got a few minutes? Get caught up! Our top stories this week include headlines from the ATTD Conference - that’s the Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes Conference. There's a bit of new information about the Dexcom G7, Beta Bionics announces it will release pivotal trial results, and news of the first AID system using the Libre 3 is announced. Along with ATTD there's news about type 2 diabetes and grocery stores, all types of diabetes and nursing homes and a person with T1D is on the cover of British Vogue.

Learn more about T1D Exchange here 

Join us LIVE every Wednesday at 4:30pm ET

Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!

Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!

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Use this link to get one free download and one free month of Audible, available to Diabetes Connections listeners!
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Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)

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

*Click here to learn more about AFREZZA*

*Click here to learn more about OMNIPOD*

*Click here to learn more about DEXCOM*

Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines of the past seven days. we go live on social media first and then All sources linked up at diabetes dash connections dot com when this airs as a podcast.
XX
In the news is brought to you by T1D Exchange! T1D Exchange is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving outcomes for the entire T1D population.
https://t1dexchange.org/stacey/
XX
This week ATTD begins – that’s the Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes Conference, so you can expect to hear a lot of news. I’ll include some here, some next week and we’ve got future interviews lined up with a lot of the companies making headlines..
XX
First up, a peek at more features in Dexcom’s G7 system. It’s approved in Europe but not the US and features what they’re calling more meaningful alarms. You can silence more alarms, including urgent low & sensor fail for up to six hours, there’s also a new 12 hour grace period at the end of the 10-day sensor life. It’s already been announced the G7 has a much shorter warm up period, only half an hour, and is much smaller.
--
Also at ATTD, Beta Bionics will be releasing Pivotal Trial Results of the iLet Bionic Pancreas. The iLet is a pump – connected to a CGM that is designed to autonomously determine and deliver insulin doses to control blood glucose levels. You’ll recall this pump was originally designed to deliver both insulin and glucagon.. but the current iteration is insulin only. They says this pivotal trial population was more diverse and representative of the United States type 1 diabetes community than any previous pivotal trial of an automated insulin delivery system. We’ll have more info on what these trials actually said next week.
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/04/25/2427846/0/en/Pivotal-Trial-Results-of-the-iLet-Bionic-Pancreas-To-Be-Presented-at-ATTD.html
XX
The first automated insulin delivery system using the FreeStyle Libre has been announced. This is in Europe and it’s the Libre 3, Ypsomed pump and CamDiab software system. Expected by the end of the year, this is described as a self-learning app, a hybrid, closed-loop system that runs on an Android smartphone and can be tuned to users as young as one year old
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/abbott-launches-diabetes-team-ypsomed-camdiab-bring-artificial-pancreas-system-europe
XX
And a new consensus meeting on Time in Range. In 2019, diaTribe formed the Time in Range Coalition, whose goal was to ensure that Time in Range (TIR) becomes the primary glucose metric for daily management, complemented by A1C, in diabetes care globally. But there isn’t an internationally consensus on the use of CGMs in clinical trials. This meeting will help standardize those methods.
XX
Other highly anticipated – or at least well-publicized- studies coming to ATTD include those from Tandem and Omnipod and almost every big diabetes tech company. Lots more to come next week and we already have interviews set with Dexcom and Beta Bionics to we’ll talk about all this in the long format episodes in weeks to come.
XX
Overtreating type 2 diabetes is apparently very common in nursing homes.. which can be a big problem as people get older and may require changes. New study in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society show about 40% of nursing home residents with type 2 diabetes may be overtreated. These researchers say one big issue is that at admission, residents are given a very big medical work up, but that isn’t followed up on year to year. Often as people age, its recommended their A1C is maintained a bit higher, for safety reasons, so a target A1C could easily change years or even months after someone moves into assisted care or a nursing home.
https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20220422/diabetes-overtreatment-common-in-nursing-homes-with-little-medication-deintensification
XX
Right back to the news in a moment but first we’ve got a new sponsor. As I mentioned, The T1D Exchange Registry is an online research study, designed to harness the power of individuals with type 1 diabetes. It’s a research study conducted online over time, designed to foster innovation and improve the lives of people with T1D. Personal information remains confidential and participation is fully voluntary. Once enrolled, participants will complete annual surveys and have the opportunity to sign up for other studies on specific topics related to T1D. By sharing opinions, experiences and data, patients can help advance meaningful T1D treatment, care and policy. Sign up at T1DExchange.org slash Stacey (that’s S-T-A-C-E-Y).
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New survey looking at how people with diabetes rate their grocery stores. From D-Q&A this was a big survey, more than 5-thousand people statistically representative of all people with diabetes in the United States. They found more than half of people with diabetes did not feel very supported in maintaining their preferred eating habits at home. 28% of low-income people with diabetes find it somewhat or very challenging to find their preferred foods when grocery shopping. Stores rated best? Aldi, Publix, Costco, H-E-B, and Hyvee. The worst rated were BJ’s, Vons, Shaw’s, Ralphs, Tops & Randalls
https://d-qa.com/major-grocery-chains-failing-to-meet-the-needs-of-people-with-diabetes/
XX
Last year she made big news by walking the runway with her Omnipod visible, this year Lila Moss is – we think – the first person with type 1 on the cover of Vogue magazine. She did an interview with them that’s on YouTube – I’ll link up the video. She says she has an Apple air tag attached to her Pod PDM. Going through her handbag essentials, she included glucose tabs and talked about how her diabetes is something she doesn’t keep hidden but just isn’t always visible. Just nice to see a matter of fact interview featuring type 1.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5piEaumF6f0
XX
On this week’s long format episode, you’ll hear from Civica RX – this is the company pledging to put out insulin without making a profit. We’ll hear why they think this will work and how soon it’ll be available for purchase. Next week we’re talking about a new mental health conference for people with diabetes – it’s virtual so you can participate from anywhere.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.

 

Apr 26, 2022

Could this finally be a big shake up in the price of insulin? Civica Rx plans to sell the most popular types of fast and long acting insulin for a flat price of 30-dollars a vial. This week you'll hear from Ned McCoy, Civica’s Chief Operating Officer. He explains why they’re confident this will work, who will be able to buy the finished product, when it will be available and what Civica RX is all about.

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

Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!

Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!

Sign up for our newsletter here

-----

Use this link to get one free download and one free month of Audible, available to Diabetes Connections listeners!
-----

Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)

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

*Click here to learn more about AFREZZA*

*Click here to learn more about OMNIPOD*

*Click here to learn more about DEXCOM*

Apr 22, 2022
It’s “In the News…” Got a few minutes? Get caught up! Our top stories this week include a new company called Luna Diabetes founded by some heavy-hitters in our community, a new #T1D telehealth study for underserved kids, improved life expectancy for people with type 2 and a look at 420 with diabetes.
Join us LIVE every Wednesday at 4:30pm ET

Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!

Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!

Sign up for our newsletter here

-----

Use this link to get one free download and one free month of Audible, available to Diabetes Connections listeners!
-----

Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)

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

*Click here to learn more about AFREZZA*

*Click here to learn more about OMNIPOD*

*Click here to learn more about DEXCOM*

Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines of the past seven days. we go live on social media first and then All sources linked up at diabetes dash connections dot com when this airs as a podcast.
XX
The news is brought to you by The World's Worst Diabetes Mom: Real Life Stories of Parenting a Child With Type 1 Diabetes. Winner of best new non-fiction at the American Book Fest and named a Book Authority best parenting book. Available in paperback, eBook or audio book at amazon.
XX
Our top story is a very interesting LinkedIn post about a new company and product.. Luna Diabetes aims to fill in a big gap – overnight automated control for people who use smart insulin pens. They’re calling it A-I – automated injections, a way to combine the convenience of insulin pens with the clinical outcomes of automated insulin delivery – like Control IQ or Looping. Some heavy hitters here – the founders are John Show-lund Sjolund – founder of Timesulin, John Brilliant a co-founder of BigFoot biomedical and Sean Saint, founder of Companion Medical who made the InPen automated pen system. The release shows a little device but no real information yet. Is it an automated basal delivery system for overnights only? pivotal trial to start by the end of this year We’ll keep you posted..
https://www.lunadiabetes.com/
XX
A look at pediatrics in under-served communities shows most children are not meeting A1C goals. A new grant from the Helmsley Charitiable Trust will focus on expanding access through remote care. Many providers lack the money to set remote care up and use it effectively – telehealth systems and things like that. A large pediatric endo group in Buffalo, NY will work with Cecelia Health, a virtual first health care provider. They’ll work with about a thousand patients to explore how improving access to remote support and the internet to better manage chronic conditions will improve outcomes. This is along with existing diabetes technology like pumps and CGMs.
https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/22/04/n26682238/improving-outcomes-for-children-and-adolescents-living-with-type-1-diabetes-is-the-goal-of-a-colla

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Big news for people with diabetes in Australia. The government has committed to subsidized access to continuous glucose monitoring and flash glucose monitoring technology for all people living with type 1 diabetes. Right now, people under 21 are already eligible as as women who are actively planning a pregnancy or are pregnancy. This agreement will make everyone eligible for just over 30-dollars a month. Right now it costs over 300-dollars a month. I’m going to link up info from the incredible Diabetes Australia advocate Renza Scibilia who’s been on the show before and who’s been working on this for more than ten years. Congrats Renza and all who will benefit.
https://www.diabetesaustralia.com.au/mediarelease/diabetes-australia-welcomes-bipartisan-commitment-to-cgmforall/
https://diabetogenic.blog/2022/04/17/oh-happy-day/
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Not a big surprise but important information about improving life expectancy in people with type 2. New study shows reducing A1C, blood pressure, cholesterol and BMI makes a big difference. This was a University of Florida Gainesville study.. biggest improvement in all of these was reducing A1C from the highest in the study – about 9.9 - to the lowest about - 7.7 - added almost 4 years of life expectancy. These researchers say it’s very motivating to patients and clinicians to see these gains and it may help them choose treatment goals.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-04-treatment-goals-diabetes-life.html
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We’ve talked about One Drop before.. more than a meter, they now call themselves a digital coaching company. And a new evaluation from an independent, third-party found that One Drop’s support program effectively improves the health of people living with prediabetes, diabetes, and high blood pressure. The program could also cut down on annual healthcare costs. This is from the independent Validation Institute, dedicated to providing unbiased, data-driven insights on health care solutions. The Validation Institute financially guarantees the program’s effectiveness. This means that people who follow the program properly but do not improve their blood pressure or A1C can file a claim with Validation Institute for up to $25,000.
https://diatribe.org/one-drop-results-backed-by-independent-review
XX
Okay this newscast is going live on April 20th.. or 4-20.. There are a lot of questions about whether marijuana which is now legal in a lot of the US is okay to use if you have diabetes. I’m going to link up some information for you in the show notes.. But most of the information focuses on the slightly altered state weed can put you in.. for many that means being more relaxed but for some it may interfere with diabetes management in the moment. There’s nothing specifically good or bad about marijuana that I could find for people with diabetes. However there is a warning for any pregnant woman -children who were exposed to cannabis in utero may be at risk for obesity and high blood sugar later in life.
https://beyondtype2.org/marijuana-and-type-2-diabetes/
XX
On this week’s long format episode, Dr Mark Heyman is a diabetes psychologist who lives with type 1. He has great advice for the most under-treated part of diabetes, the mental health aspect of it all. Next week you’ll hear from Civica RX – this is the company pledging to put out insulin without making a profit. We’ll hear why they think this will work and how soon it’ll be available for purchase.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.

Apr 19, 2022

We don’t need to tell you that the mental burden of diabetes is a heavy one. And most of us – caregivers and people with diabetes alike - are never given any resources to help. My guest this week is trying to help.

Dr. Mark Heyman is a diabetes psychologist and lives with type 1 himself. His new book is called “Diabetes Sucks, and You Can Handle It.” We talk about why he wanted to write the book, who it’s for and what we can learn from his experiences. talk about some of the common fears and worries he hears and what he advises his patients.

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

Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!

Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!

Sign up for our newsletter here

-----

Use this link to get one free download and one free month of Audible, available to Diabetes Connections listeners!
-----

Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)

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

*Click here to learn more about AFREZZA*

*Click here to learn more about OMNIPOD*

*Click here to learn more about DEXCOM*

Apr 12, 2022

Sage Donnelly started kayaking with her father at age two, when he'd sit her in the boat next to him. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 3 and got right back in the water. After watching competitions for several more years, at age seven she told her parents she wanted to compete. She wasn't kiddng!

Donnelly was the Jr. Women’s Freestyle World Championship and earned a spot in the Olympics. More recently, she's decided to go in another direction and shares what prompted the change. We talk about how she keeps her diabetes gear protected in the water, treating lows during 3-day remote adventures and more.

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

----music-----

Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!

Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!

Sign up for our newsletter here

-----

Use this link to get one free download and one free month of Audible, available to Diabetes Connections listeners!
-----

Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)

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

*Click here to learn more about OMNIPOD*

*Click here to learn more about DEXCOM*

Apr 8, 2022

It’s “In the News…” Got a few minutes? Get caught up! Our top stories this week include testing a new treatment for leukemia to see if it might help with type 1, Black patients with type 1 are at higher risk of DKA, transitioning from teen care to adult care, updates on Eversense in the US and Dexcom One in the UK and front office changes at Beyond Type 1 and Vertex.

Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!

Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!

Sign up for our newsletter here

-----

Use this link to get one free download and one free month of Audible, available to Diabetes Connections listeners!
-----

Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)

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

*Click here to learn more about OMNIPOD*

*Click here to learn more about DEXCOM*

Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines of the past seven days. we go live on social media first and then All sources linked up at diabetes dash connections dot com when this airs as a podcast.
XX
The news is brought to you by The World's Worst Diabetes Mom: Real Life Stories of Parenting a Child With Type 1 Diabetes. Winner of best new non-fiction at the American Book Fest and named a Book Authority best parenting book. Available in paperback, eBook or audio book at amazon.
XX
Interesting look at whether a treatment for leukemia might work against type 1. Very early on here.. but AVM Biotechnology has received a grant to find out. The drug doesn’t have a name yet.. it’s referred to as AVM-0703 and has been shown to delay T1D in the lab.
A preclinical dose-finding and mechanism of action (MOA) study in three scenarios including pre-diabetic, new-onset, and established diabetes is the first aim of the program. Those results will be used to determine the targeted dose to be used in a pivotal efficacy study for reversal of new-onset and established diabetes. It is anticipated that for patients not showing remission, AVM0703 may reinforce other immunotherapies allowing a wider range of patients to achieve insulin independence.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220405005529/en/AVM-Biotechnology-Awarded-1.6-Million-Phase-II-SBIR-Grant-to-Study-AVM0703%E2%80%99s-Potential-to-Reverse-Type-1-Diabetes
XX
Black patients with type 1 faced a significantly higher frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis during the pandemic, and particularly during surges, researchers reported. This was a big study at several different health centers and hospitals. Researchers found there was not significant difference in the number of patients in DKA from 2019 versus 2020.. but there was a higher proportion of Black patients. The trend continued through the pandemic and again, it was significant, 48-percent versus 18 percent. Pandemic surges emphasized the disparity even more. These researchers say their work shows racial inequities in diabetes care were present before the pandemic, starkly visible during the pandemic, and will continue to persist after the pandemic -- unless we systemically root out and target racial inequities in diabetes care,"
https://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/type1diabetes/98044
XX
A new look the transition from pediatric to adult care for people with type 1 shows.. it needs improvement. This research – based on interviews with older adolescents showed many felt unprepared and dissatisfied with the transition process. Three big takeaways – the teens are aware of the changing relationship with their parents and health care teams and often want more independence than the parents are willing to give… the teens want acknowledgement that being diagnosed at different ages means they may be more or less comfortable with self-management and the third is that they think their pediatric team isn’t preparing them to work with adult providers. Personally, this means a lot to me – as my son is 17 – and I’ll be asking his peds endo to work with him more on this stuff in the next couple of years.
https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20220401/novel-programs-needed-to-improve-transition-from-pediatric-to-adult-diabetes-care
XX
DiabetesWise announces the launch of it’s new Pro website. It’s an unbranded non-biased resource created at Stanford University to help make providers more informed about diabetes devices and streamline the prescription process. We’ve talked about Diabetes Wise before and I’ll link it up here. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the evolving choices and providers are in the same situation.
The DiabetesWise Pro website has an extensive Device Library where providers can learn about all of the FDA-approved diabetes devices on the market based on the patient’s considerations. The user can compare the devices from the different manufacturers using the Compare Device tool, which displays a side-by-side analysis of the components and details of each technology, including the steps for ordering and prescribing the device. Providers can then build a comparison report of the two devices to share with their patients, colleagues, and community.

Along with the Device Library, providers can receive help with ordering and prescribing the devices for their patients using the Prescription Tools feature on the website. The Prescription Tool directs the user to a guide providing accurate up-to-date information on the necessary steps for filing a prescription and ordering the device for the patient. DiabetesWise Pro has plans to update the tool to include details on the approval of devices for patients based on insurance type.

DiabetesWise Pro website features for use in clinic include:
1. Device Library- Information on specific device fundamentals
2. Comparison Tool- Comprehensive tool that allows you to compare device recommendations and share with patients
3. Prescription Tool- A step-to-step guide for ordering the device and filling a prescription based on insurance type
4. Resources for providers by providers- best tips, tricks, and workarounds for diabetes technology from providers

With this new resource, there have also been enhancements to the patient-facing website at DiabetesWise. Newly approved devices have been added and there are now Spanish-language versions of the Check-Up and Device Finder.
https://diabeteswise.org/#/
https://providers.diabeteswise.org/#/
XX
FDA approval in February, now the Eversense six-month CGM is rolling out to patients. The price is set at 99-dollars out of pocket for the first transmitter and sensor and then $100 per month for the six months of wear. The device includes a small fluorescence-based sensor, about the size of a grain of rice, which is fully embedded in the upper arm. A transmitter stuck to the skin over the sensor reads the data, transmits the information to a smartphone and provides vibration alerts for changes in blood sugar.
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/medtech/ascensia-diabetes-care-launches-eversenses-6-month-cgm-system-us
XX

Dexcom ONE is getting a big roll out in the UK. We’ve talked about this a couple of times in the past.. it’s the same Dexcom technology but a bit pared down and at lower cost. This news comes as the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) announced new guidance for adults and children managing Type 1 diabetes. NICE now recommends that adults with Type 1 diabetes be offered a choice of glucose sensors. G6 is already offered there and the G7 will be as well, but this is about national health service coverage, and the Dexcom One is the only system under consideration there.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220401005092/en/Dexcom-Announces-Dexcom-ONE-the-Newest-Real-Time-Continuous-Glucose-Monitoring-System-to-Its-Range-of-Scan-Free-and-Fingerprick%E2%80%A0-Free-Devices

XX
Some front office news around the community..
Stem cell pioneer Doug Melton is leaving Harvard to join Vertex Pharmaceuticals. Not entirely unexpected – Melton’s company Semma was purchased by Vertex and they are moving ahead toward stem cell transplantation as a functional cure for type 1. This was the company that got all those headlines last fall about the cure – you remember “It worked in this one guy!” Melton is joining the company as a distinguished Vertex Fellow. Semma, by the way, was named after his two adult children who live with type 1 – Sam & Emma.

https://www.statnews.com/2022/04/05/douglas-melton-noted-stem-cell-researcher-leaves-harvard-for-vertex-to-create-diabetes-treatments/
XX
Beyond Type 1 names Deborah Dugan as CEO. She replaces Thom Scher who died suddenly and unexpectedly in December. Dugan was previously the CEO of RED, the not-for-profit organization founded by U-2’s Bono (bah no) and Bobby Shriver to raise awareness in the fight against AIDS. Dugan, has been recognized as one of the "100 Most Powerful Women" by Forbes, "Top Woman to Help Change the World" by Elle and as a "Nelson Mandela Changemaker"
https://beyondtype1.org/beyond-type-1-diabetes-deborah-dugan-ceo/
XX
Congratulations to Leo and Alana Folsom who welcome a baby boy. The couple was on a recent season of the Amazing Race and after we all saw Leo’s Dexcom in one of the first episodes, he came on this show to share his story. Leo lives with congenital hyperinsulinism, where the body makes too much insulin, and had almost his entire pancreas removed. He told me at the time he was amazed by the diabetes community’s support. So I just wanted to say congrats to him and to Alana and help welcome baby Kitt Edwin Folsom.
XX

On this week’s long format episode, Laurie Harper shares her story… Laurie was diagnosed as a toddler back in 1955. She’s in the Joslin Medalist Study and talks about the difference this incredible group is making. Next week you’ll hear from World Champion Kayaker Sage Donnely who was diagnosed with type 1 at age 3 when she’d already been kayacking for almost a year.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts
That’s In the News for this week.. if you like it, please share it! Thanks for joining me! See you back here soon.

Apr 5, 2022

It’s always a privilege to talk to one of the Joslin Medalists. This week you’ll hear from Laurie Harper. She was diagnosed as a toddler in 1955 and will mark 67 years with type 1 later this year. She shares what she remembers about her early years with diabetes, how her family adjusted, the technology she started with and what she uses now.

The Joslin Medalist program recognizes and studies people who’ve lived with type 1 for at least 50 years. Laurie tells us more about the medalist program, about aging with diabetes and she takes a look back at how different the management was almost 70 years ago.

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

Learn more about the Joslin Medalist Program 

Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!

Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!

Sign up for our newsletter here

-----

Use this link to get one free download and one free month of Audible, available to Diabetes Connections listeners!
-----

Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)

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

*Click here to learn more about OMNIPOD*

*Click here to learn more about DEXCOM*

Apr 1, 2022

It’s “In the News…” Got a few minutes? Get caught up! Our top stories this week include new information about the temperature at which insulin can be safely stored, a warning about men taking Metformin, news about sexual health and women with diabetes, and a heads up about a virtual mental health conference coming up for people with diabetes.

Check out Stacey's book: The World's Worst Diabetes Mom!

Join the Diabetes Connections Facebook Group!

Sign up for our newsletter here

-----

Use this link to get one free download and one free month of Audible, available to Diabetes Connections listeners!
-----

Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)

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

*Click here to learn more about OMNIPOD*

*Click here to learn more about DEXCOM*

Hello and welcome to Diabetes Connections In the News! I’m Stacey Simms and these are the top diabetes stories and headlines of the past seven days. we go live on social media first and then All sources linked up at diabetes dash connections dot com when this airs as a podcast.
XX
The news is brought to you by The World's Worst Diabetes Mom: Real Life Stories of Parenting a Child With Type 1 Diabetes. Winner of best new non-fiction at the American Book Fest and named a Book Authority best parenting book. Available in paperback, eBook or audio book at amazon.
XX
Our top story.. a look at how insulin holds up under real-world and often hotter conditions than is recommended. Doctors without Borders found that a range of insulins can be stored at warmer temperatures than previously recommended. They showed it’s okay above 77-degrees all the way up to 99 degrees for four weeks. This is really important not just for emergency settings like refugee camps but for people who live in areas without refrigeration. They often have to travel to health clinics which may be far away and which can’t send them home with the insulin. The group now says pharmaceutical corporations should urgently submit to regulatory authorities for use of insulin under expanded temperature ranges. This came out a few weeks back, but I haven’t seen it anywhere.
https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/latest/msf-study-shows-some-insulin-can-be-stored-warmer-temperatures
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Big headlines this week about Metformin and the risk of of birth defects in the babies of men who take it. Metformin is a very common diabetes drug, taken by tens of millions of people around the world. Sons born to men taking it were more than three times as likely to have a genital birth defect as unexposed babies. These problems were relatively rare, occurring in fewer than 1-percent of all babies with dads who took Metformin but it’s significant because tens of millions of people worldwide take metformin. These researchers say the paper’s findings are preliminary and observational only.. and that men with diabetes should NOT abruptly stop metformin before trying to conceive. Reassuringly, the researches saw no effect for men who took the drug earlier in life or even a year before. Expect a lot more research to come on this one.
https://www.science.org/content/article/rare-genital-defects-seen-sons-men-taking-major-diabetes-drug
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Grain of salt needed here, but new research may show that people with type 1 are more likely to manage better if they have high levels of psychological resilience. This was a British study that followed 18-hundred people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. They used a questionnaire to determine how they adapted to change and focused under pressure. The researchers found that people with type 1 diabetes who had low psychological resilience also had poorer blood sugar control after two years. The idea is that something like this would offer the opportunity to identify those who might benefit most from additional support when they are first diagnosed.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-03-psychological-resilience-future-high-blood.html
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Among patients with diabetes, women are just as likely as men to suffer from sexual dysfunction, but their issues are overlooked. Big session on this at the Diabetes UK Professional Conference this week. Reserachers say women with diabetes can experience reduced sexual desire, painful sex, and other issues which can increase the risk of depression. But these issues are usually untreated despite help being available. They talked about the embarrassment factor and the idea that many women with sexual dysfunction don’t realize diabetes could be a factor.
They encourage health care professionals to go beyond conversations about contraception, pregnancy and menstruation. A recent study led by Belgian researchers found that among more than 750 adults with diabetes 36% of men and 33% of women reported sexual dysfunction.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/971208
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Concerning new trend about pre-diabetes.. it’s doubled among children over the last 20 years. The increase was seen over almost all subpopulations of young Americans, regardless of income, ethnicity and education. The study in the journal JAMA Pedatirics included kids 12 to 19 years old from 1999 to 2018. The rate of presdiabetes went from 11.6-percent to 28.2-percent. Pre-diabetes means blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet at the diabetes threshold. These researchers are quick to point out, they don’t know the reason why this is happening.. while diet and exercise are usually what’s pointed to.. it’s not entirely clear that’s the reason behind this rise.
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/28/health/prediabetes-children-study-wellness/index.html
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Huge new study of more than 3-million people says people with type 2 have a higher risk of 57 other health conditions. Experts described the findings as stark and alarming and said it underlined the urgent need to reduce the risk of more people developing type 2 diabetes. The study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, focused on people over 30. These researchers say the higher risks occurred when people were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes under the age of 50.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/mar/29/type-2-diabetes-results-higher-risk-57-other-conditions-study
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Want to let you know about the Diabetes plus Mental Health virtual conference coming up in May. This two-day event will highlight ways in which living with diabetes affects mental health. There will be 2 tracks - one for patients and one for caregivers and providers. I’m excited to take part – just in a light hearted way. I’ll be hosting a game show type session where you can meet some of the presenters and participants. Lots more information lined up.. registration is open now and early bird pricing ends April 3rd.
https://dmhconference.vfairs.com/?fbclid=IwAR2BiuxasHL0bBGe_6JpDzMnhY__kr6HptYFGpfdwEO0ftDL7pTbMyFycIY
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On this week’s long format episode we’re talking to JDRF about the new non-profit insulin they’ve backed. Why will this effort from Civica RX be different? We’ll talk about it. Next week we’ll have a conversation with one woman in the Joslin Medalist Study. Diagnosed nearly 70 years ago she shares her story and why she’s excited about part of this incredible group.
Listen wherever you get your podcasts
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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