Positive Text Messages Improve Diabetes Management
A study in China, examining 502 people from 32 separate clinics, found an association between culturally sensitive text messaging and improved fasting glucose. Participants in the study received usual care and were split into two groups:
The intervention group received six culturally sensitive positive texts throughout the week about blood glucose monitoring, physical activity, dietary advice, and emotional support.
The control group simply received two messages per month thanking them for being part of the study.
The results weren’t surprising. Mobile text messaging offers a cost effective and feasible strategy to enhance diabetes self-management.
The intervention group was more likely to achieve their A1c target than those in the control group (69.3% success, compared to 52.6%). Change in fasting blood glucose was larger in the intervention group (between-group difference: -11 mg/dl or 0.6 mmol/L), but no other outcome differences were observed.
The conclusion of the study was that culturally sensitive positive mobile text messaging may help improve diabetes self-management. You can read the full study, published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.
Learn more about psychosocial implications in treating diabetes and how to apply them this December! Nicole Johnson, former Miss America, now National Director of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), will be a keynote speaker, with her specialty being psychosocial issues, quality of life, and family dynamics.
Nicole will be speaking on “Bringing the Science of Diabetes Home” at the Women Leader’s Conference in Tampa, Florida. See full agenda here.
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Smart Glucometers Improve Engagment During Pregnancy
A clinic in South Carolina studied 50 pregnant women with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and found that use of smart glucometers improved diabetes management. Use of these glucose meters led to increased participant engagement and better informed treatment decisions.
The smart glucometers were cellular-enabled to upload readings in real time to the clinic’s online portal. The smart meters also reported time of day, type of meal eaten, physical activity information, and symptoms. Blood glucose readings taken with the smart meter were automatically uploaded to a patient portal via cellular connectivity and were reviewed daily by diabetes educators.
During the study providers contacted participants when blood glucose readings were less than 50 mg/dL or when there were two consecutive readings of more than 200 mg/dL. They found that women with the smart meter reported more hypoglycemic events and were more likely to use a CGM than those who kept manual log books.
Those with smart glucometers versus those without had no difference in maternal or neonatal complications, except for neonatal hypoglycemia, which was less frequent in those with smart glucometers. For more details, you can read the full study.
Want to learn more about Diabetes Technologies? Coach Beverly’s New Technology Toolkit – Earn 3.0 CEs is ready for on-demand viewing.
When it comes to insulin pumps, sensors and calculation, many of us feel overwhelmed and unsure about diabetes technology management. Plus, with the vast amount of information, it may seem impossible to figure out what to focus on for our clinical practice and to prepare for the diabetes certification exam.
Coach Beverly invites you to enroll in our NEW Technology Toolkit Online Course Bundle, to keep you abreast of the rapidly changing world of Insulin Pump Therapy, Continuous Glucose Monitoring and calculations while preparing for exam success.
If you want cutting edge information on diabetes technology, problem solving and using formulas to determine appropriate insulin dosing, we highly recommend this toolkit.
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Can Coffee Help Our Waistlines?
A new study from the University of Nottingham suggests yes! The study examined the effect coffee on brown fat.
Brown fat is a heat generating form of fat, unlike white fat which simply store the body’s excess calories. The heat generation of brown fat helps burn calories in the process of thermogenesis.
Brown fat normally is triggered in response to cold and helps the body produce heat by burning sugar and fat. In this study, the brown fat actually became hotter after a drink of coffee!
Michael Symonds, the study leader, explained the next step will be testing if caffeine supplements create a similar effect. Read the full report on the study here.
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New “Time in Range Targets” provide clear goals for CGM
Providers and people living with diabetes are increasingly taking advantage of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology. CGM’s offer real time blood glucose levels with more convenience and less fingersticks.
However, utilization of CGM technology in routine clinical practice remains relatively low. This under-use may be due in part to unfamiliarity with the technology aspects and lack of standardized glycemic targets.
The recently published Recommendations From the International Consensus on Time in Range Diabetes Care 2019, clearly outline CGM Glucose Targets that both diabetes teams and people with diabetes can work toward. See the CGM target ranges for different groups below.
These guidelines, from an International Committee, provide standardized Time in Range targets for most people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes; for those who are older or at high risk for severe hypoglycemia; and for pregnant women.
Recommendations are given for upper and lower blood glucose targets and for time spent in both target and out-of-target ranges.
The recommendations are endorsed by the ADA, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE), American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), Foundation of European Nurses in Diabetes, International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes, JDRF, and Pediatric Endocrine Society.
For more information, please see the complete article: Clinical Targets for Continuous Glucose Monitoring Data Interpretation: Recommendations From the International Consensus on Time in Range Diabetes Care 2019 Aug; 42(8): 1593-1603.
Want to learn more about Diabetes Technologies? Join Coach Beverly for New Technology Toolkit – Earn 3.0 CEs Premiers August 20 & 23
When it comes to insulin pumps, sensors and calculation, many of us feel overwhelmed and unsure about diabetes technology management. Plus, with the vast amount of information, it may seem impossible to figure out what to focus on for our clinical practice and to prepare for the diabetes certification exam.
Coach Beverly invites you to enroll in our NEW Technology Toolkit Online Course Bundle, to keep you abreast of the rapidly changing world of Insulin Pump Therapy, Continuous Glucose Monitoring and calculations while preparing for exam success.
If you want cutting edge information on diabetes technology, problem solving and using formulas to determine appropriate insulin dosing, we highly recommend this toolkit.
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
Good News – Dark Chocolate Reduces Depression Risk and Stress
A study from the University College London, published in Depression & Anxiety showed an association between eating dark chocolate, and lessening symptoms of depression.
This study isolated the effects of dark chocolate only, avoiding variables such as socioeconomic status, which they believed could “confound the association between chocolate and depression.”
The study showed significantly lower odds of symptoms of clinical depression in study participants who ate dark chocolate as compared to other chocolate types.
The findings indicate a positive relationship between dark chocolate and lessened depression. However, they need to be confirmed in duplicate studies that carefully consider confounding variables.
In another study, researchers highlighted that highly stressed people who ate the equivalent of one average-sized dark chocolate candy bar (1.4 ounces) each day for two weeks experienced reduced levels of cortisol and catecholamine levels compared to highly stressed people who did not eat dark chocolate for 2 weeks.
Researchers also say dark chocolate appeared to have beneficial effects on the participants’ metabolism and microbial activity in the gut.
Bottom line – looks like we all need to eat more dark chocolate!
Read University College London Study on Chocolate Reduces Depression Risk
Read Dark Chocolate Lowers Stress Hormones from Web MD
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Hybrid Insulin Pump Use Lowers A1c
The MiniMed 670G is the first FDA approved closed loop insulin delivery system. The pump in combination with a glucose sensor, provides and adjusts basal insulin based on an internal algorithm coupled with continuous glucose readings. This system has an added safety feature of suspending insulin delivery before blood sugars take a dive into dangerous territory.
Real world data is now being collected to evaluate user satisfaction and clinical outcomes. And the findings are positive, according to researcher Lisa T. Meade, PharmD, CDCES, professor of pharmacy at Wingate University in North Carolina.
Her research included a retrospective chart audit of adults with type 1 who used the Medtronic MiniMed 670G. The study evaluated A1c, time in range and user satisfaction. Of these, 33 participants completed a satisfaction survey after at least three months of use.
A1c Results
Based on the chart audit results, the average A1c in the study group dropped significantly. At six months it dropped by 0.9% vs. baseline (P=.015). At one year, the A1c dropped by 1.2% (P=.001) vs. baseline.
Time-In-Range and Satisfaction results
Based on the survey, the average satisfaction score was 3.79 (score range 1-5). These participants also experienced time-in-range benefits.
According to Meade, “We were encouraged with the mean time in range of 67%, but we also see room for improvement. The American Diabetes Association recommends the people using CGMs spend at least 70% of their time between 70 mg/dL and 180 mg/dL. Meade concluded that “The study did confirm the need for better office procedures to track patients starting on new technology and to ensure regular follow-up visits.”
Want to learn more about Diabetes Technologies? Join Coach Beverly for New Technology Toolkit – Earn 3.0 CEs Premiers August 20 & 23
When it comes to insulin pumps, sensors and calculation, many of us feel overwhelmed and unsure about diabetes technology management. Plus, with the vast amount of information, it may seem impossible to figure out what to focus on for our clinical practice and to prepare for the diabetes certification exam.
Coach Beverly invites you to enroll in our NEW Technology Toolkit Online Course Bundle, to keep you abreast of the rapidly changing world of Insulin Pump Therapy, Continuous Glucose Monitoring and calculations while preparing for exam success.
If you want cutting edge information on diabetes technology, problem solving and using formulas to determine appropriate insulin dosing, we highly recommend this toolkit.
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
References:
Healio Endocrine Today – Aug 10. 2019
Meade LT, et al. P811. Presented at: American Association of Diabetes Educators; Aug. 9-12, 2019; Houston.
Disclosure: Meade reports she is a certified pump trainer for Medtronic.
Gratitude Associated with Improved A1c in Kids with Type 1
The University of Auckland in New Zealand has released a new study showing a positive association between gratitude journaling and A1c levels in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.
60 adolescents were assigned either to 8 weeks of gratitude journaling, where they had to list three positive aspects of their life, compared to adolescents who did not journal gratitude (usual care). All participants had a baseline A1c of 8.4%.
After 8 weeks, those who were not assigned to gratitude journaling had an 8.9% at the end of the study. Those in the gratitude group experienced a lower A1c of 8.3%!
For full details of the study, visit Healio Endocrine Today.
Interested in learning more about adolescents and diabetes? Take our tots to teens course, where we cover special issues diabetes educators need to be aware of when working with children and their families.
When it comes to insulin pumps, sensors and calculation, many of us feel overwhelmed and unsure about diabetes technology management. Plus, with the vast amount of information, it may seem impossible to figure out what to focus on for our clinical practice and to prepare for the diabetes certification exam.
Coach Beverly invites you to enroll in our NEW Technology Toolkit Online Course Bundle, to keep you abreast of the rapidly changing world of Insulin Pump Therapy, Continuous Glucose Monitoring and calculations while preparing for exam success.
Technology Toolkit Airs August 20 and August 23
If you want cutting edge information on diabetes technology, problem solving and using formulas to determine appropriate insulin dosing, we highly recommend this toolkit.
Sign up for Diabetes Blog Bytes – we post one daily Blog Byte from Monday to Friday. And of course, Tuesday is our Question of the Week. It’s Informative and FREE! Sign up below!
Do topical steroids increase risk of type 2 diabetes?
Based on a study published in Diabetes Care in April 2019, it appears that there is a positive association between use of topical corticosteroids and new incident diabetes.
A Danish case-control study collected health care data from people who were diagnosed with new onset Type 2 diabetes in Denmark and the United Kingdom.
A total of 115,218 in Denmark and 54,944 in the UK were identified with new diabetes.
The researchers found that topical corticosteroid use was significantly associated with new onset diabetes of diabetes in both groups. In the Danish group (adjusted odds ratio was 1.35) and U.K. group (adjusted odds ratio was 1.23).
They also found that there was a significant dose response relationship. The more potent the steroid the higher the incident risk of diabetes.
The next question to be addressed is if topical steroid cream increases blood glucose in those with existing diabetes.
Read the “Association Between Topical Corticosteroid Use and Type 2 Diabetes in Two European Population-Based Adult Cohorts” Diabetes Care Abstract here.
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