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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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]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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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]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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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]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!
[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]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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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]Gastric Bypass Surgery associated with high type 2 diabetes remission rates
A recent study conducted by the Aarhus University Hospital in Denmark found that three out of every four persons living with obesity and type 2 diabetes who receive a RYGB ( Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass) experience remission within one year. Remission is defined as blood glucose levels at non-diabetes range without using diabetes medications.
This study followed 1,111 individuals who had an elevated BMI and type 2
The results of this study for people with type 2 and a BMI of 35 or greater who had RYGB:
- 74% of individuals experienced diabetes remission within one year
- 27% of these individuals relapsed after approximately five years.
- Those less likely to experience diabetes remission included:
– those over 50,
– diabetes duration > 5 years,
– use of glucose lowering drugs other than metformin
– baseline A1c of more than 7%
In addition, those who had RYGB surgery had a significantly reduced risk of microvascular and possibly macrovascular complications compared to those who did not have surgery.
According to the authors of the study, RYGB is associated with a high remission rate and a decreased rate of vascular complications, especially if surgery in performed early after diabetes diagnosis.
For more information on this topic, read the full study in Diabetologia- Effect of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery on diabetes remission and complications in individuals with type 2 diabetes: a Danish population-based matched cohort study.
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]One in five deaths worldwide linked to unhealthy diet
In 2017, a study found that 11 million deaths worldwide were linked to poor diet. The research demonstrated that too much sugar, salt, and processed meats can contribute to diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Although there is still debate on the “ideal diet” a recent study recommended people double their intake of fruits, vegetables, and legumes and halve their intake of meat and sugar.
The study reviewed the diets of over 195 countries. “Consumption of healthier foods such as nuts and seeds, milk and whole grains was on average too low, and people consumed too many sugary drinks and too much processed meat and salt. This led to one in five deaths in 2017 being linked to unhealthy diets. “
A study from The Global Burden of Disease, from 1990 to 2017 found that an unhealthy diet was responsible for more deaths than any other health factor worldwide.
“The study found people ate only 12 percent of the recommended amount of nuts and seeds – an average intake of 3 grams a day, compared with the recommended 21 g – and drank more than 10 times the recommended amount of sugary drinks. Diets high in sugar, salt and bad fats are known risk factors for heart disease, stroke, diabetes and many types of cancer.”
The global diet also lacked in consumption of whole grains and doubled the recommended intake of processed meats.
As health care professionals we want to promote a healthy lifestyle and help encourage our community whenever we can. We have created a Plant-Based Eating Resource page and the “Joy of Six” sugar campaign to provide resources for healthy eating. We also invite you to join our Diabetes Education Course September 4-6, 2019, where nutrition expert Dana Armstrong discusses the importance of improving global and individual through diet.
The Joy of Six Campaign Materials
Diabetes Education Course September 4-6, 2019,
To learn more: One in five deaths worldwide linked to unhealthy diet – Reuters
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[yikes-mailchimp form=”1″]App for Remotely Managing Hypertension Effective in Type 2
A new study shows a positive outcome for people with type 2 diabetes and utilizing a smartphone application to monitor blood pressure.
The study gave a Bluetooth-connected blood pressure monitoring device to 276 people with elevated BP for 6 weeks. After the device read their BP, the participants were sent their results along with helpful tips, and a reminder to take their medications.
During the study, there was also education provided to all participants with a goal to help lower BP ratings.
“Participants who had the highest blood pressure at baseline were the most likely in multivariable modeling to see reductions in both systolic and diastolic pressure by the end of the study.”
Researchers believe that using the app helped participants not only become more aware of their blood pressure regulation, but also fostered positive medication adherence and lifestyle changes.
To learn more: Smartphone App for Remotely Managing Hypertension Effective in Type 2 – Endocrinology Advisor
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