It's "In the News..." Got a few minutes? Get caught up! Top stories this week: An FDA hiccup for Vertex, Omnipod 5 starts wider rollout, New peek at Dexcom G7 features, Beta Bionic study info, "Hey Alexa, predict my blood sugar" and Healthline shuts down their main source of diabetes news and information.
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Join us LIVE every Wednesday at 4:30pm ET
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Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)
Please visit our Sponsors & Partners - they help make the show possible!
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.
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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/
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Our top story – bit of a surprise for Vertex – the FDA puts a clinical hold on their newest trial. This is the company that made big headlines last fall – that New York Times article likely sent to you by everyone you know about a stem cell cure for type 1. That’s when Vertex reported data on the cell therapy from a single patient who achieved a “robust” restoration of islet cell function after receiving a drug called VX-880. That response is going strong they say at day 270. This week, Vertex showcased results from another patient and said a third patient has received the full dose. A company spokesman says they’re surprised by the clinical hold given the evidence so far and there have been no serious adverse events. They say they’ll work with the FDA to get the trial moving again as soon as possible.
https://www.fiercebiotech.com/biotech/unwelcome-surprise-vertex-fda-slaps-hold-phase-12-diabetes-cell-therapy-study
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Insulet announces that Omnipod 5 has completed the Limited Market Release and will be rolling out to a wider audience soon. Those who signed up for what they call the interest list will be notified first – we’re told watch for that email this week. If you haven’t signed up, sit tight. Omnipod 5 still isn’t yet available through all insurers and at every pharmacy, but the roll out will continue slowly through the year.
https://www.omnipod.com/current-podders/resources/omnipod-5/faqs?fbclid=IwAR1fghbXl4uP4H3z8DGovriAocpZyDyPzLdPzME_taonv3_ZfPC3XqukHJY
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We’re learning more about Dexcom’s G7 – approved in Europe and in front of the US FDA right now. Sensors will have a bit of a grace period – they’ll keep working 12 hours after the 10 days are up. You’ll also be able to silence the urgent low and sensor fail alarms for six hours – that’s new. I’m talking to CTO Jake Leach for next week’s long-format show and he’s got a lot of info to share. I asked as many of your questions as I could, so please come back for that one.
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New study results about the iLet, the insulin only bionic pancreas from Beta Bionics. This is one of the many studies presented at A-T-T-D.. People in the study saw about half a point come off their A1Cs after 13 weeks and there was no increase in hypoglycemia. They also saw more than 2 and a half hours more time in range. The iLet is unique in that you only enter your weight and tell the pump system when you’re eating – there are no basal rates or a need to enter carbs. No timeline for release but the company says its regulatory submission is currently under FDA review.
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2022/04/30/2433019/0/en/The-iLet-Bionic-Pancreas-Significantly-Reduced-HbA1c-and-Improved-Time-in-Range-vs-Standard-of-Care-for-a-Diverse-Range-of-People-with-Type-1-Diabetes.html
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Amazon.com's online pharmacy PillPack has agreed to pay almost 6-million dollars to resolve claims that it overcharged government health insurance programs by dispensing more insulin injector pens than patients needed. That’s the headline, but -editorial here – this story just shows a lot about what’s wrong with our system. Many of us have had this happen – used to be if you had a prescription for insulin pens, they’d just give you the box of 5 – even if the prescription was written for 3 or 4. Now, they have to break open the box and count out the exact amount. It’s not as though a patient was over-charged.. and that’s not the focus of this lawsuit. This was about government health insurance programs. I get it, we’re all paying for that in our taxes, but there’s got to be a better way. Maybe pass that co-pay cap, or let Medicare negotiate prices or just cap the price overall. Then this issue – and many others – goes away.
https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/amazon-unit-pay-58-mln-insulin-overbilling-2022-05-02/
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Walmart Health's telehealth company MeMD launched a virtual care diabetes program this past week. The initiative, known as the Walmart Health Virtual Care Diabetes Program, was developed for employers and payers as a standalone offering or as part of a comprehensive telehealth program. It’s a partnership with the ADA and includes a consultation with a licensed medical provider to discuss patient history, eating habits and more.
https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/walmart-launches-telehealth-program-aimed-diabetes
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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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An Australian company joins the diabetes conversation on your Alexa device. Jade Diabetes says their My Jade skill can centralize logging, dose calculation and dose management. It can also suggest dose changes within 3 hours. They say “Jade is the only system to use accurate predictions to alert patients of future risks at a given time.” It uses info from CGMs, connected glucose meters, digital pens and data from Apple Health.
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220504005004/en/Jade-Diabetes-makes-Diabetes-Simpler-with-Alexa-Insulin-Dosing
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Really sad to hear that Healthline has decided to close down what I think has been just one of the best sources of Diabetes news & info.. Diabetesmine. It was started by Amy Tenderich after her diagnosis in 2003 and acquired by Healthline in 2013. I’ve had her and Managing Editor Mike Hoskins on the show many times. Amy’s amazing other project – D-Data Exchange will live on. These are the bi-annual #DData forums connect experts, advocates and innovators developing data platforms, apps, algorithms and next-gen devices to take full advantage of data-driven diabetes care. You may recall the term We Are Not Waiting was coined at the first D-Data exchange – it’s a cool place to be! The next one is coming up June 2nd, more info in the show notes.
https://summer2022-ddata.eventbrite.com
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On this week’s long format episode, you’ll hear about the Mental Health Plus diabetes conference.. the organizers said every conference has one session on mental health – we really need more. So they did it. Love that! Next week, as I mentioned, Dexcom’s Chief Technical Officer on the G7, some interesting new info.. and I asked him all of your questions.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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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/
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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..
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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.
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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
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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/
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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
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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.
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!
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.
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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.
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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/
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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
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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/
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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.
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!
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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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/#/
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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
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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
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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/
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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/
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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.
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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.
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!
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.
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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.
It’s “In the News…” Got a few minutes? Get caught up! Top stories this week: Dexcom G7 approved in Europe, JDRF speaks out on non-profit insulin plan, Ukraine diabetes aid progress, texting for T2D, Reaction to Pixar's Turning Red
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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
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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!
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.
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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.
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Our top story this week.. Dexcom gets the CE Mark for it’s new G7 system, which means it’s approved in Europe. The approval is for people ages 2 and up, including pregnant women. I’m putting the full screen photo up here and I’ll post this on the website and in the FB group for those listening.. interesting to finally get a good look at the much smaller applicator – as expected looks a lot like the Libre. Also interesting, all the PR for this has said, developed in partnership with Verily.. remember them? That was part of google, probably best known for saying they were going to develop a contact lens that would monitor glucose. I’ve reached out to Verily, love to know more about this partnership. Anyway, we’ve done a ton on G7, I’ll link up some of our recent conversations with the folks at Dexcom. They submitted to the US FDA at the end of 2021, no firm timeline on US approval.
https://www.medicaldevice-network.com/news/dexcom-ce-mark-g7-cgm-system/
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Some good news about living longer with chronic conditions, including diabetes. This was a 20-year British study that ended in 2011, so one caveat here, it doesn’t include COVID. Men gained 4-point-6 years of life expectancy; women gained 2-point-1. When it comes to disability-free life expectancy, men gained about a year less and women stayed the same. This included people with chronic conditions including those with diabetes. These researchers do point out that while they’d expect to see the same increase in the US – the lack of health and social safety net programs could make a negative difference here. But they point to CGM technology and better medication as making a big difference for those with diabetes.
https://www.healthline.com/health-news/why-people-with-chronic-conditions-such-as-diabetes-are-living-longer-without-disability#Cognitive-impairment-is-the-exception
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Children who develop type 1 diabetes show epi-genetic changes in the cells of their immune system long before the antibodies of the disease are detected in their blood. An epigenetic change affects how our genes work. Outside factors such as environmental, viral infections, are usually the cause. These researchers say these are previously unknown changes that signal the increased risk of developing type 1 and could give an even earlier indication than the anti-body marker tests available now.
https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220316/Epigenetic-changes-could-be-a-biomarker-for-early-detection-of-type-1-diabetes.aspx
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Could text-messaging with their doctors help people with type 2? A new team in Chicago is looking at text-based intervention in underserved communities. The intervention will deliver personalized information directly to patients through text messages, including reminders about self-monitoring and prescription refills, interactive office hours and general information about diabetes, motivational support and answers to frequently asked questions. These doctors say the idea is to create more opportunities for patients to meaningfully engage and reduce barriers by employing technology already in people’s hands.
https://today.uic.edu/an-sms-solution-for-type-2-diabetes
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Last week we told you about the effort by Civica RX to make affordable insulin. Civica, is a nonprofit generic pharmaceutical company. JDRF directed funds to this effort and CEO Aaron Kowalski wrote an op ed that I’ll link up. In it, he talks about the success Civica has had lowering the costs of other medications. We’ll have Kowalski on the show soon and I’ve reached out to Civica as well. This would lower the price to $35 a vial no matter your insurance. Congress still hung on a $35 co-pay cap for those with insurance.
https://www.healthline.com/diabetesmine/op-ed-jdrf-leader-on-insulin-affordability-for-all-americans
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Over in the UK they keep moving forward – covering all 400-thousand Britons with type 1 for the Libre CGM. Former guest of the podcast, Dr. Partha Kar, says everyone with type 1 will be able to get a CGM if they want one by the end of March. It will no longer be restricted by who doctors think need it the most. By the way, Briton means someone from England, Scotland or Wales. It’s the first time I’m using that word so UK friends.. let me know if I’ve got it right!
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-10606335/All-400-000-type-1-diabetic-Britons-offered-high-tech-implant.html
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Still a big need for diabetes help to Ukraine. A lot of the efforts are paying off – Insulin for Life showing that the supplies are on their way or have arrived. Spare a Rose reports that individual donations so far have totaled more than 115-thousand-dollars. I’ll keep linking up places to donate
https://www.jdrf.org/blog/2022/03/02/helping-the-diabetes-community-in-ukraine/
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Reaction to Pixar’s Turning Red. I loved this. I put out a call for photos of people seeing themselves in the movie’s tiny little moments of diabetes representation. Thanks to all who sent those in – you can see them on Diabetes Connections on Facebook and Twitter. And my Stacey Simms account on Instagram. It’s all just one account there.
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While Turning Red had diabetes in the background.. this week on the long format episode we’re talking about a movie that wants to put type 1 front and center. And it’s got the Star Trek community excited as well! Meet the Star Trek Discovery actor with type 1 who’s leading this effort.
Next week, we’re going on a deep dive about stem cell research with the folks at Viactye. They’re working on two fronts now.. encapsulation AND gene editing with the people at CRISPR.
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.
It’s “In the News…” Got a few minutes? Get caught up! Top stories this week include: where to donate if you want to help people with diabetes in Ukraine, a look at cases of COVID-induced diabetes that seem to be temporary, Dexcom gets FDA breakthrough status for use in hospitals, insulin prices mentioned in the State of the Union, T1D college scholarships and learning more about a non-invasive glucose monitoring system called SugarBeat.
--
Join us LIVE every Wednesday at 4:30pm EST
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!
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.
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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.
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Our top story.. a lot of you were asking about help for people with diabetes in Ukraine. I didn’t jump right into this last week because I get very concerned about scams. We hate to think anything about diabetes isn’t on the up and up.. but we need to be careful. I was really glad to see Insulin for Life, which is very well known and well-run, stepping in here. And easy way to donate to them is through Spare a Rose for Ukraine. This is the annual campaign centered around valentine’s day that usually runs through February.. they’re extending it through March. All donations will be directed to Insulin for Life, a registered charity with over two decades of experience providing insulin and diabetes supplies to under-resourced countries, and responding to emergencies. Their international consortium and network in Europe, with partners in Ukraine and neighboring countries, has supplies ready to go if, when and where needed.
https://sparearose.org/
https://www.jdrf.org/blog/2022/03/02/helping-the-diabetes-community-in-ukraine/
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As doctors learn more about people who develop COVID-related diabetes they’re finding blood sugar returns to normal a few months later. Researchers studied 600 patients who showed signs of diabetes while hospitalized for COVID-19, including 78 with no previous diagnosis of diabetes. Compared to patients with pre-existing diabetes, many of the newly diagnosed patients had less severe blood sugar issues but more serious COVID-19. Roughly a year after leaving the hospital, 40% of the newly diagnosed patients had gone back to blood sugar levels considered non-diabetic.
https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/covid-related-diabetes-may-be-temporary-racial-disparities-widen-with-omicron-2022-02-25/
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Scotland has nearly 2-million people in a huge ongoing COVID study. The latest info from that shows no association with a COVID infection causing type 1 diabetes in children less than 16 years old. Type 1 in children increased to about 1.2 times the average during the pandemic but it doesn’t seem to have been caused by COVID. The US CDC has said otherwise, that there does seem to be a causal link between COVID and type 1. In all the studies so far, getting a COVID vaccine was not associated with incidence of type 1 diabetes
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/969166
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Good news about using the Dexcom CGM in the hospital. The FDA has granted Breakthrough Device Designation for Dexcom for healthcare professionals to monitor and manage glucose levels… in adults who use insulin while in the hospital. We first talked about this in 2020 when the FDA temporarily allowed hospital CGM use because of COVID. Dexcom created a special page on their website to provide resources to clinicians.. I’ll link that up.
https://www.dexcom.com/hospitalcovid-19
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Researchers say they’re making progress into amyloid, a key molecule in the pancreas that contributes to type 2. For the first time, scientists say they’ve uncovered the step-by-step changes that take place in a molecule known as human islet amyloid polypeptide. It’s helpful in the body until it changes into a more damaging form. The researchers said their findings, raise the possibility of new treatments for type 2 diabetes and other amyloid-related diseases such as Alzheimer’s
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/969265
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There is a huge psychological barrier against starting insulin for those with type 2. A new web-based resource is hoping to help with that. One in four adults with type 2 report being unwilling to start insulin once it’s recommended. These Australian researchers designed an online resource called “Is insulin right for me?” They went through eight psychological barriers like “does insulin mean my diabetes is more serious?” Then they went through the educational process around each. This was a very small study – fewer than 40 people- but the response was positive enough to continue toward a broader roll out. Editorial here – I speak to people all the time who feel like starting insulin is a failure of will power. I get it, we should all eat better and exercise more.. but no one feels the same shame about blood pressure medication. I’m glad to see this getting some attention.
https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20220228/online-education-may-ease-insulin-fears-of-adults-with-type-2-diabetes
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The price of insulin came up in the State of the Union speech this week. President Biden talking about lowering prescription drugs and capping the price of insulin for the insured. He singled out 7th grader Joshua Davis from Virginia, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when he was 11 months old. Joshua’s father also lives with type 1 and the family were guests of the first lady during the state of the union. It’s not clear if any of the measures to lower prescription drugs will actually get through congress.
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We’re keeping up the non-invasive glucose monitoring news.. and the latest contender is sort of an old one. The My Sugar Watch is said to be moving forward and could be available this year. MySugarWatch is a licensee of the BEAT sensor, also known as SugarBEAT, from Nemaura Medical.
The SugarBEAT CGM has been around for a while, getting its CE Mark European approval in 2019. It’s a small patch that sticks onto your skin for 24 hours, then you replace it. The transmitter sends wireless readings to a smartphone app via Bluetooth every 5 minutes. They submitted to the FDA in early 2020.. with what looks like an updated submission last year. No word on a timeline or US rollout.
https://www.notebookcheck.net/MySugarWatch-needle-free-continuous-glucose-monitor-for-type-2-diabetes-on-the-cards-as-award-winning-Nemaura-posts-encouraging-financials.605046.0.html
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If you’ve got a high school senior with type 1 – you may want to check out Diabetes Scholars. Applications are open now. There is one application to be considered for any and all of the scholarships.. it closes March 27th. You must be a high school senior with Type 1 diabetes seeking a higher education at an accredited two or four year university, college, technical or trade school in the United States. And you must be a US citizen or permanent resident.
https://diabetesscholars.org/
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Our long format episode this week is all about Eversense – we take a deep dive into this implanted CGM system. The FDA just approved the E3 which lasts 180 days – six months – with no sensor changes. Next week? The real story behind the character with diabetes in Pixar’s turning red.
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.
It’s “In the News…” Got a few minutes? Get caught up! Top stories this week include: a look at Vitamin D in newly diagnosed kids with type 1, new study about bariatric surgery, type 2 and COVID, endos are the top specialty adopting telehealth and a look at a new movie about type 1 - find out why it also has backing from the Star Trek community!
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Join us LIVE every Wednesday at 4:30pm EST
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!
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. If you’re new 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
Looking to get organized? Diabetes supplies can really add up and all that pump and CGM stuff or even shots and wipes and strips can clutter everything up. I’ve got a great new guide to help you out. It’ll get you started and keep you organized. That’s totally free and it’s over on the podcast homepage.
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A new study adds to the idea that Vitamin D might help with type 1 diabetes in kids. These researchers look at young people ages 10-21 and found that a supplement of Vitamin D2 may improve insulin sensitivity and slow the increase of A1C for those newly diagnosed. This was over the course of a year. Very small study, fewer than 40 kids and teens, and all of them diagnosed for three months or less. A lot more to learn here.. but the study is in the Journal of the Endocrine Society.
https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20220221/vitamin-d2-supplement-may-slow-progression-of-newonset-type-1-diabetes-in-children
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This is more business news.. but something to keep an eye on.. RosVivo has signed with Eli Lilly for commercial development. Rosvivo has a drug said to be a game changer to treat diabetes and obesity. Lilly will now review and move it forward. The drug is said to restore the function of beta cells that secrete insulin, the cause of diabetes, and at the same time lowering insulin resistance. Animal studies only but we’re keeping an eye on this one.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/rosvivo-therapeutics-inc-signed-material-125200372.html
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Provention Bio has resubmitted the Biologics License Application (BLA) for teplizumab. This is the drug that shows a delay of clinical type 1 diabetes for three years. The FDA said “no” last year.. but it did so in a way that left the door open, so Provention has done what’s been asked and is now resubmitting. The CEO says quote - “We continue to proceed with a sense of urgency, recognizing that significant unmet need exists for patients and their caregivers.”
https://www.empr.com/home/news/drugs-in-the-pipeline/provention-bio-resubmits-bla-for-teplizumab-to-delay-type-1-diabetes/
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The link between high blood pressure and diabetes seems to come down to a small protein cell. An international team shows this glucagon like peptide called GLP-1 pairs up the body’s control of blood sugar and blood pressure. Doctors have known for a long time that high blood pressure and diabetes go together, but this is the first time the reason for that has been found in the body. GLP-1 is released from the wall of the gut after eating. It also stimulates a small sensory organ in the neck. These researchers say GLP-1 is just the start for more study.
https://scitechdaily.com/long-standing-enigma-finally-cracked-link-discovered-between-high-blood-pressure-and-diabetes/
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More support for bariatric surgery as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. A study found that adults with obesity who had weight loss surgery and achieved “substantial weight loss” before contracting COVID reduced their risk for severe infection by 60% compared to those who didn’t have surgery. The study was conducted by researchers at the Cleveland Clinic. Previous studies have found that in obese patients with type 2, bariatric surgery sends it into remission more than 75% percent of cases.
https://blogs.bcm.edu/2022/02/21/bariatric-surgery-helps-with-diabetes-leads-to-better-covid-outcomes-study-finds/
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Throughout the COVID 19 pandemic, endocrinologists have had the highest rates of… telehealth adoption. This study released by Doximity – we’ve spoken to them on the show – looked at telehealth claims from January 2020 to June of 2021. As expected, younger physicians used telehealth more than their older counterparts. And they say the research shows that telehealth can successfully help manage diabetes – and that it even lowers A1C in people with type 2. They don’t say why.. but I’d think it’s because it’s easier to get a visit in remotely. Interestingly they also did a top five for metro areas with the highest telehealth adoption. They were: Boston, Baltimore, Charlotte, Philly and San Francisco.
https://mhealthintelligence.com/news/telehealth-adoption-highest-among-diabetes-gi-care-providers
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The World Health Organization is looking for people living with diabetes for an international focus group. They say they hope to foster solidarity and policy action between people living with diabetes, while acknowledging and highlighting differences in treatment and management needs between different types of diabetes. The focus group will be held March 9 and 10 live and online. We’ve linked up the survey you need to fill out to be considered.
https://extranet.who.int/dataformv3/index.php/257838?lang=en
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An ambitious project to make a movie about type 1 diabetes in a dystopian world is moving along via kickstarter. Noah Averbach-Katz is an actor and writer and has lived with type 1 for more than 20 years. He says too often a disabled person is reduced to a plot point - a problem that gives the abled hero an opportunity to save the day. He wants to tell a story that captures the fears, trials, and experiences of a Type 1 diabetic. The Star Trek community is rallying behind this – Averback Katz and his wife Mary Wiseman are both part of the Star Trek Discovery series. The kickstarter goes until March 24th.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/noahak/type-1
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As we hinted last week, Omnipod has a fun crossover with Nintendo. The very popular Switch game, Animal Crossing now has a new diabetes-themed designed by Insulet. It’s known as Omnipod Bay, you add it to the game with a special code. Omnipod Bay features booths from selected diabetes charities as well outfits, diabetes supply bags and diabetes-themed areas and activities. I asked – no little podcast headphone as of this time! The game add-on comes just two weeks after Insulet’s Omnipod 5, was cleared by the FDA.
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Our long format episode this week is with the Lauren Bongiorno, a diabetes health coach who is a terrific example of why it’s not a great idea to aim for perfect with diabetes. She shares how her A1C was basically perfect during college but that she… was miserable. And next week.. all about Eversense, the 6 month CGM.
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.
It's "In the News..." Got a few minutes? Get caught up!
Top stories this week include two big FDA approvals! Tandem's Mobile Bolus and Eversense 180 day sensor both get the okay, we're looking at earlier detection of T1D in kids, there's a new discovery around a protein that might help T2D, info about Spare a Rose and Omnipod drops a hint about a crossover with a popular Nintendo game.
Join us LIVE every Wednesday at 4:30pm EST
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!
FB LIVE:
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. If you’re new 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
Looking to get organized? Diabetes supplies can really add up and all that pump and CGM stuff or even shots and wipes and strips can clutter everything up. I’ve got a great new guide to help you out. It’ll get you started and keep you organized. That’s totally free and it’s over on the podcast homepage.
XX
Our top story this week – big movement from the US FDA, two approvals we’ve been waiting for. The first, Tandem Mobile bolus – what I’ve been calling bolus by phone. As expected, company says when released, this will be no additional cost for in-warranty customers through a remote software update. Limited launch in the spring, followed by expanded launch this summer. It’s compatible with both iOS and Android, although limited to just a couple of models right now. This is a very important step not just for customer convenicen but as Tandem moves forward with it’s new hardware line including Mobi will need an external device for full control.
https://www.tandemdiabetes.com/landing-pages/remote-bolus
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The second FDA approval came through for The Eversense E3 continuous glucose monitor. This 180-day implantable sensor will be available later in 2022. If you’re not familiar, you have the sensor, inserted under the skin of the upper arm (and removed) every six months by a trained healthcare provider. There is a rechargeable transmitter which vibrates on the body for highs and lows.. and a mobile app. The sensor requires two calibrations per day for the first 21 days of wear. After that it requires one calibration. Lots of questions here and I’m talking to these folks for an upcoming episode.. look for that in about two weeks.
https://diatribe.org/180-day-implantable-cgm-eversense-e3-approved-fda
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Saw an interesting post from Omnipod this week on IG.. All about Pat Podder® - the caption says she “is a long-time member of the Pod Squad who loves a good DIY project, going swimming, and to explore new places.” Take a look at this animation, along with the hashtag they used.. Animal Crossing.. are we about to see a gaming crossover? Insulet says an announcement is coming Thursday of this week, so if you’re listening to the podcast it may have already happened.. I’ll follow up.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CaA_5rEsyMH/
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Big push in Germany to get doctors to screen very young kids for type 1. This group conducted the world’s largest population based screening for type 1 diabetes in children so far. Since 2015, any child aged 2–5 years in Bavaria, Germany, could have their blood tested for islet autoantibodies. These show early stage type 1 diabetes years before high blood sugars and other symptoms. More than 90-thousand kids have been tested and point 31 percent (.31%) have been diagnosed. Next up is to take a deep dive into the potential cost savings and increased quality of life compared to what happens without these early screenings.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-early-diabetes-children.html
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It’s a mouse study.. but good potential here for a drug to treat type 2 diabetes. It works by amplifying a protein that has a positive effect on insulin. The protein is called Swell-1 and it’s vital for normal insulin secretion from pancreatic cells. And, SWELL-1 activity seems to be significantly disrupted in people with type 2. Fixing that seems to restore both insulin sensitivity and insulin secretion. And it does this without lowering blood glucose when that’s not needed. Long way to go but promising..
https://newatlas.com/medical/new-drug-target-diabetes-metabolic-disease-swell1/
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The Spare a Rose campaign was back – focusing on Valentine's Day but continuing through February. The idea here is that instead of buying a dozen roses.. you buy 11 and donate the value of that last flower to help someone with diabetes. Since starting in 2013 Spare a Rose has raised almost 400-thousand dollars.. most of that has gone to Life for A Child. Now, these donations are going to the Insulin For Life Global organization. It provides insulin, supplies, education, and advocacy to children and adults. With that the name has changed from Spare a Rose, save a child to Spare a Rose save a life.
https://sparearose.org/
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More type 1 at the Olympics! Last week we told you about Snow Boarder Kamilla Kozuback who was diagnosed at age 13. Czech skeleton athlete Anna Fernstädtová came in 7th a couple of days ago. A MONTH ago she was in the hospital, newly diagnosed with diabetes. She wrote on Instagram: “7th place at the Olympic Games. Not the runs I wanted, not the result I wanted. But these are happy tears. Not even a month ago I was in hospital, without knowing what would happen. But we made it happen. Thank you everyone who got me here And to everyone who is also dealing with type 1 diabetes: everything is possible! You got this!!”
https://www.facebook.com/annafernstaedt
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Our long format episode this week is with the folks at Sigi pump.. a new tubeless rechargeable pump that got breakthrough device designation last fall.
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.
Every week “In the News…” brings you the top stories and headlines around the diabetes community. Top stories this week: A new treatment is being studied to help prevent hypos, cannabis use may decrease women's risk of type 2, examining Veterans Affairs claims for T1D & Agent Orange, better prevention for T2D and heart disease and which athlete at the Winter Olympics was diagnosed with type 1 as a teen?
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Episode Transcription Below (or coming soon!)
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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 of the past seven days. If you’re new 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.
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Looking to get organized? Check out my new guide with top tips to clear your diabetes clutter. Everything from how to start to where to donate and how to keep it from taking over your house. Head over to the home page to get organized.
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Our top story.. moving forward to find a daily therapy to slow or prevent low blood glucose in people with type 1. This is from diabetes-focused life sciences company Zucara Therapeutics. They’re calling the drug ZT-01 and in theory it could restore the body's ability to release glucagon. Long way to go here, but reducing hypoglycemia is obviously a great outcome due to the many risks lows can create. Zucara will now move ahead with it’s proof-of-concept clinical trial in people with T1D. The company expects to publish the findings from that study closer to this summer.
https://www.biospace.com/article/zucara-reveals-hopeful-preclinical-data-in-type-1-diabetes-/
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Part of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act means a close look at type 1 in the VA. It mandates a report on disability compensation claims submitted by Vietnam War veterans who have Type 1 and were exposed to an herbicide agent during their service. The VA recognizes that Vietnam veterans' Type 2 diabetes can be related to Agent Orange. But it requires veterans with type 1 to provide evidence. There are some challenges here: The VA's claims decision data only goes back to 2003 and they track Type 1 and Type 2 with the same diagnostic code, they don’t distinguish between the two conditions. In 2020, diabetes represented roughly 6.5 percent of all service-related conditions for which Vietnam War era veterans received compensation.
gao.gov/products/gao-22-105143
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New study of gestational diabetes shows it recurs for nearly half of women who’ve had it before. These doctors say little is known about the risk factors for recurrent gestational diabetes. Part of the problem is that they just changed criteria for diagnosing it. In this study about 8-percent of women had a history of gestational diabetes. Of those, almost 50-percent had it recur and just over 7-percent developed type 1 or type 2 between those pregnancies.
https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20220208/risk-factors-differ-for-first-time-recurrent-gestational-diabetes
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What’s the link between weed and a lower risk of type 2? First.. this study only showed such a link in women NOT in men and only in heavy users. In this study that means using cannabis at least four time in the previous month. No differences in the prevalence of type 2 in men who were light or heavy cannabis users versus nonusers. These findings come from a large 5 year study that ended in 2018 and in which people self-reported their use. These researchers say the gender difference was also seen in animal models. Expect more study on this one.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/968186
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More good outcomes with SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists. These drugs are a mouthful but new research links them with lower chances of potentially fatal heart problems in people with type 2 without established heart disease. They compared these newer meds to the risks in people using more traditional therapies, such as metformin. The researchers showed the odds of developing heart failure was 51 percent lower for people using SGLT2 inhibitors, 18 percent lower for GLP-1 users and 57 percent lower for people using both drugs. The newer drugs are prescribed less and these researchers say we need to look at why when the newer ones show better outcomes.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-02-diabetes-drugs-thousands.html
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Some tough numbers about depression and diabetes. In the US.. about 30-percent of people with either type 1 or type 2 have depressive symptoms and 11-percent show signs of major depressive disorder. This lines up with studies from other countries as well, so it’s not just about healthcare. There’s some info in this study about how insulin resistance may go hand in hand with depression.. Women with diabetes seem to be at a heightened risk. Emerging research suggests treatment of depression with antidepressants may decrease the risk of developing diabetes-related complications, although other research suggests there may be complications related to their use.
These conflicting findings highlight the need for further research.
https://www.endocrinologyadvisor.com/home/topics/diabetes/diabetes-and-depression-and-distress-and-psychological-and-clinical-and-social-causes-insulin-and-glycemia-and-antidepressants/
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Our friends at DiabetesMine have a good write up about the very attractive and ever elusive state of non-invasive blood glucose monitoring.. One that caught my eye was Scanbo. This technology uses a 60-second noninvasive finger measurement instead of a traditional blood drop required to measure glucose. The company has developed a prototype. You just put your fingers on the flat white sensors and the system uses a set of algorithms to analyze and offer insight on glucose values. Like most of these we’ve reported on.. they present at consumer shows, not medical conferences and no clinical trials. And.. this is my editorial.. what a weird photo. It looks like you have to put both hands on the machine and with the chipped purple nail polish this looks like no thought was put into it.
https://www.healthline.com/diabetesmine/non-invasive-diabetes-technology
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At least one athlete in these Winter Olympics lives with type 1… Kamilla Kozuback was diagnosed at age 13.. and her first question was whether she’d ever be able to snowboard again. That was only four years ago! At the time she told JDRF Canada – quote, “I want to be in the next Olympics. I’m going to keep working hard, and training all I can” She’s competing in Beijing this week.
https://www.instagram.com/kamillakozuback/?hl=en
https://www.jdrf.ca/finding-strength-in-adversity-newly-diagnosed-teen-competes-in-2020-youth-olympics/
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The documentary “Pay or Die” gets some Hollywood star power behind hit. Susan Silverman signs on as an executive producer. We had directors Scott Ruderman and Rachel Dyer on the show last year to talk about what they describe as a look at the health care crisis in America, told through the personal stories of those with Type 1 diabetes who, because of soaring insulin costs, are living on the edge of survival.
Silverman says, “I believe Rachael and Scott might just shame our shameless government enough to move the needle,” “I’m grateful for the chance to help get eyes on this crucial documentary.”
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/sarah-silverman-diabetes-insulin-documentary-1235084792/
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Our long format episode this week is Molly Schreiber who lives with type 1 and rheumatoid arthritis. Medication for the latter made the decision to get a COVID vaccine complicated and she shares her story. Next week we’re talking with the people at SIGI pump.. a new tubeless rechargeable pump that got breakthrough device designation last fall.
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.