PDGN V-P Delighted with UN Award
PDGN Vice-President, Dr Mustafa Brahimi, who led the fight for a soda tax in the Moroccan Parliament, is delighted to report that the Moroccan League for the Fight against Diabetes has won an award from the United Nations. The task force of which he is a part has received the award of the UN Interagency […]
PDGN News: Co-Chairs Annual Meeting
CAPTION: Co-Chairs John Bowis OBE, Secretary General Adrian Sanders, and Co-Chairs Sir Michael Hirst and Chris Delicata meeting in London in the offices of Diabetes UK PDGN Co-Chairs, John Bowis OBE, Sir Michael Hirst and Chris Delecata met with Secretary General Adrian Sanders at the headquarters of Diabetes UK for their first meeting in person […]
IDF Launch Global Ambassador for Diabetes
The Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina Wazed MP, have been announced as the first International Diabetes Federation (IDF) Global Ambassador for Diabetes. IDF President-Elect Prof Akhtar Hussain presented an invitation to accept the honorary position during an official meeting held in Dhaka on August 24. The title of IDF Global Ambassador for Diabetes is […]
BDA’s Biodegradable Bottles
Melissa Levy, the head pharmacist at the Bermuda Diabetes Association, has been measuring out medicine into the BDA’s new biodegradable bottles. People with diabetics in Bermuda will receive biodegradable medicine bottles after the island’s diabetes charity pledged to go green. The Bermuda Diabetes Association made the switch to bottles made out of corn husks as […]
Diabetes Australia wins Award
Diabetes Australia has won the Best Patient Campaign category at the 2022 Australian Patient Association Awards in Melbourne on August 18. The winning entry, “Heads Up on Diabetes,” was launched during National Diabetes Week in 2020. As previously reported at the launch it was a three-year campaign designed to highlight the daily mental health challenges […]
DLC Joins Lawsuit
A trio of patient advocacy groups in the US are challenging a rule that allows insurers to prevent financial assistance from drug companies from counting toward a patient’s annual out-of-pocket costs. Insurers argue that drug companies’ co-pay assistance programs allow drug companies to steer patients toward expensive brand-name drugs, driving up health costs for everyone. […]
Meet the Aussies by Secretary General, Adrian Sanders
One Australian is diagnosed with diabetes every eight minutes, new research from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has found. Yet one more statistic to concern the Co-Chairs of the Australian Parliamentary Friends of Diabetes Group, whom I met on-line with PDGN Patron, the Hon Judi Moylan AO. MPs, Graham Perrett and Rowan Ramsey […]
Research Corner
A Diabetes Link to Dementia https://www.timesnownews.com/health/diabetics-beware-study-says-high-blood-sugar-levels-could-give-you-dementia-article-92318905 Role of Socioeconomic Status in Amputation Rates with Comorbid PVD and Diabetes https://www.thecardiologyadvisor.com/home/topics/vascular-medicine/role-of-socioeconomic-status-amputation-rates-with-comorbid-pvd-and-diabetes Potential target for Type 1 diabetes treatment https://www.miragenews.com/potentia l-target-for-type-1-diabetes-treatment-824142/ Japanese Study Finds Health Benefits in Muscle Strengthening https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/13/755 Children with type 1 diabetes and their family members are at increased risk of mental health problems. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220801/Study-Children-with-type-1-diabetes-and-their-family-members-are-at-increased-risk-of-mental-health-problems.aspx […]
Nutrition News: Japanese Super Foods in the News
Why are low calorie, rich in nutrients and vitamins, natural, organic foods, in the news? They are mostly vegetables that according to the Japan Super Foods Association, include; spirulina, maca, Chinese wolfberry, cacao beans, chia seeds, coconut, acai, camu camu, broccoli sprout and hemp seeds. Superfoods are neither medicines nor supplements, but are important in […]
Benefits of Fibre in Preventing Type 2 Diabetes
Dietary fibre, also known as roughage, is the indigestible part of plant foods. Fibre has a host of health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Fibre is mostly in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. There are two types of fibre — soluble and insoluble — and both play important […]
Drink Labelling Takes Step Forward in Singapore
Drinks outlets in Singapore must label beverages high in sugar, saturated fat on their menus by the end of next year. Beverage labelling is part of the country’s efforts to influence consumers diet and sugar intake as part of the government’s war on diabetes. Advocacy Action: Could drink labelling help the fight against obesity and […]
More Nutrition News: Food Labelling in Canada
Canada is to put warning labels on unhealthy food products. Manufacturers will have three years to prepare for the changes, with the rules set to come into force at the start of 2026. Companies will be required to add nutrition warnings to the front of pre-packaged food with high levels of saturated fat, sugar or […]
Nutrition News: Could More Protein in a Diet reverse Type 2 Diabetes?
India’s largest ongoing diabetes study has opened up a formula to reverse or slow down the onset of diabetes. The focus in diabetes care has shifted from mere medication to its reversal. Doctors working on the study have suggested that in order to achieve this goal, a person’s diet needs proteins to make up to […]
Cheesemaking Remedy for Diabetes?
Diabetes is New Zealand’s biggest and fastest-growing health condition among Pasifika and Maori communities. It is hoped that a New Zealand-based company researching alternative uses for a byproduct from cheesemaking is developing it into a remedy for people with type 2 diabetes. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/maori-and-pasifika-diabetes-sufferers-face-new-hope-in-battle-against-the-killer-disease/G7FBF5US4XECSZTAQ3YRL5BZBQ
MP Raising Money for Diabetes
James Duddridge, UK MP for Rochford and Southend East, has announced he will run this year’s iconic 26.2-mile race on behalf of Diabetes UK. Each year, Duddridge runs the London Marathon for a different charity. He was was diagnosed with diabetes about five years ago. He takes insulin to manage the condition and monitors his blood glucose […]
More News in Brief: UK Parliamentary Enquiry Launched
Sir George Howarth MP and former Prime Minister Rt. Hon Theresa May MP have launched a new inquiry into eating disorders in type 1 diabetes. Several evidence sessions are currently taking place, with the eventual aim to set out ambitious recommendations to ensure the NHS and healthcare system is better equipped to tackle the complexities […]
Nigeria – Coalition for Sugar Taxes
A coalition of Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), including the Nigerian Diabetes Association, are calling on the Nigerian Government to introduce the sugar tax that was introduced in a Finance Act last year and signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari. The purpose of the tax is to help tackle the health risks of consuming sugar-sweetened beverages […]
Nearly 7 out of 10 Fijians are Overweight
CAPTION: Minister, Dr Devina Nand, addressing residents about healthy eating. PHOTO CREDIT: Fiji Times. The Fijian Health Ministry head of wellness, Dr Devina Nand, says almost 67 percent of Fiji’s population is overweight – increasing the risk of diabetes and non-communicable diseases. She also said 80 percent were not eating enough fruit and vegetables and […]
News in Brief: Diabetes Rates by Country
Interesting data showing the top five Counties with the approximate highest rates for type 2 diabetes among the general population: ● China — over 1 billion ● India — over 1 billion ● U.S.A. — 338 million ● Indonesia — 275 million ● Pakistan — 235 million The rates are also published by country for […]
More News from Around the World: Role of Taxation in Preventing Obesity – Moroccan Summit
PDGN Vice-President and Moroccan MP, Dr Mostafa Brahimi, reports that a summit on the role of taxation in preventing obesity was held in the Moroccan Parliament. The summit involved parliamentarians, agri-food industry representatives, such as biscuits, sugar drinks and dairy products, together with academics and the President of the of the International Diabetes Federation Middle-East […]
Changing Reasons for Type 2 Hospital Admissions
The reasons for people with type 2 diabetes being admitted to hospital are changing. This is according to an early press release from the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) whose annual conference is taking place this month in Stockholm, Sweden (19-23 Sept). Details will be revealed at the event showing that traditional […]
More News from Around the World
Put People at Heart of Diabetes Services A briefing by the UK based National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has called for people to be put at the heart of diabetes services. The report brings together a collection of research from the past couple of years which illustrates how taking account of individuals’ needs, differences and wishes […]
Higher Risk of Kidney Disease in African-Caribbean People with Type 1 Diabetes
A study published in Diabetes Care show that ethnicity is a risk factor in people with type 1 diabetes developing kidney disease. The findings also indicate that people of African-Caribbean heritage living with diabetes have nearly a 60% greater risk of advanced kidney disease. It is believed to be the first study in type 1 […]
More News from Around the World: CGM on Prescription in UK
The Dexcom ONE real-time Continuous Glucose Monitoring (rt-CGM) System is now available to be prescribed across the United Kingdom. The decision follows new guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) which recommends adults with type 1 diabetes should be offered a choice of glucose sensor, children should be offered rt-CGM and […]
Senate Action on Insulin Costs
U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) – Co-Chairs of the Senate Diabetes Caucus – announced their new bipartisan legislation, the ‘Improving Needed Safeguards for Users of Lifesaving Insulin Now (INSULIN) Act’, to lower the skyrocketing costs of insulin. The new legislation builds on Collins’ and Shaheen’s previous efforts, increasing measures to encourage insulin […]
More News from Around the World: Support for Indigenous Populations
As part of a wider package of support for minority groups the Canadian Government has announced it will give the University of Saskatchewan CAN $849,753 to design culturally appropriate and comprehensive school food programs that are integrated into school curriculums. These food programs will promote healthy eating and can be implemented within Indigenous communities in the province. The […]
Diabetes and the Cost-of-Living Crisis
Rising food costs are threatening the health of millions of people around the world. For people with diabetes, whose management of the condition is crucial, their ability to do so is being compromised by rising food prices. This will in time could lead to complications requiring expensive medical interventions. Global food inflation is monitored by […]
News from Around the World
Jamaica’s Ministry of Health and Wellness aims to realign its health education and promotion infrastructure to place greater focus on the preventive rather than the curative aspect of health care. CAPTION: “Jamaica must shift health care towards prevention,” says Dunstan Bryan. The objective is to more effectively address the problem of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among […]
Social Prescribing Pilots
GPs in parts of England will start prescribing walking and cycling in a trial to help improve mental and physical well-being and tackle health disparities across the UK. The trial runs until 2025 and marks an acceptance that it is not only health budgets that can improve people’s well-being, but a holistic approach across government […]
Type 1 Advocacy Aid Launched
On 21st September, JDRF, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, launched the Type 1 Diabetes Index (T1D Index). The T1D Index is a first-of-its-kind data simulation tool that measures the human and public health impact of the T1D crisis in every country across the globe. ● T1D causes the pancreas to make very little insulin or […]
Occupational Hazards
Membership of PDGN continues to grow among elected representatives around the world, but the numbers change every time there is an election. Since our last issue there have been elections that we know about in the Lebanon, Malta and Australia. To those who stood down, enjoy your new life, to those who lost their seat […]
Europe Chair
Following the recent general-election in Malta the re-elected Government is resisting calls from the opposition to reinstate a sub-committee of the parliament focussed on diabetes. PDGN European Chair, Claudette Buttigieg MP, was one the key influencers who campaigned for its creation in the last Parliament and re-elected, she has joined the fight to reinstate it. […]
PDGN News: ‘Game Changing’ Research Donation
PDGN has welcomed what is believed to be the largest ever private donation for research into Type 1 diabetes, the £50 million (US $61million) donation by the Steve Morgan Foundation announced at the end of April. The Steve Morgan Foundation was set up by Steve Morgan, founder of the Redrow housebuilding group, and the Foundation […]
New DART Chair
Diabetes Australia has announced the appointment of leading health advocate Lucy Brogden AM (Pictured) as the new Chair of DART, the Diabetes Australia Research Trust. The Trust, which manages the Diabetes Australia Research Program, supports around 60 research projects a year with funding allocations of more than Aus $3 million (US $2million) per annum. The […]
CWD – Type 1 Screening
The importance of screening for type 1 diabetes was the subject of a meeting held during the American Association for Diabetes Scientific Conference in New Orleans last month. Paediatric Endocrinologist Kimber Simmons MD, MS, talked about the stages of type 1 diabetes and the screening options available, and what resources families and people with diabetes […]
State Advocacy Forums
The Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition has hosted 12 US state advocacy forums over the past year. These are virtual events designed to educate advocates on the structure of state government, provide an overview of key topics impacting people with diabetes and share tips on how to be an effective advocate. The 60-minute forums begin with […]
Technology Corner
A presentation at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Conference this June claimed that an intervention program powered by artificial intelligence and data collected by sensors was linked to a type 2 diabetes remission rate of more than 80 percent. https://www.healio.com/news/endocrinology/20220605/most-with-type-2-diabetes-achieve-remission-with-twin-precision-treatment-technology Dexcom announces its newest CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) System https://finance.yahoo.com/news/dexcom-announces-dexcom-one-newest-072900150.html
Research News
USA – Screening for diabetes earlier could reduce racial and ethnic disparities in diagnosis, study finds. https://www.phillyvoice.com/diabetes-screening-racial-ethnic-disparities-asian-hispanic-black-diagnosis-study USA – Investigators from the Pediatric Diabetes Center at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone investigated outcomes disparities as they related to diabetes technology use among youth living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). https://www.ajmc.com/view/there-is-more-to-blame-than-tech-for-t1d-outcomes-disparities-investigators-argue Germany – Research suggests […]
Nutrition News: Call For Mandatory Labelling of Foods
The linking of poor nutrition to chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases is well documented. According to Siphiwe Dlamini, a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of the Witwatersrand, writing in ‘The Conversation’, these diseases are likely to become increasingly prevalent in developing countries like South Africa due to rapid and often […]
Whey Protein and type 2
A UK Newcastle University study suggests Whey protein supplements may help people with Type 2 diabetes. Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a by-product of the manufacturing of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Whey protein contains and incredible range of essential amino acids. Consuming […]
EU News
In May the European Parliament’s Mobilising for Diabetes (MMD) group held a joint event with the MEP Heart Group on ‘Supporting ambitious Diabetes and CVD Roadmaps in the context of the ‘Healthier Together – EU NCD Initiative’. Link below. https://www.mepinterestgroupdiabetes.eu/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/MMD-WEBINAR-REPORT_May-2.pdf Advocacy Action: Are there other health groups within your legislature whom you could work with […]
Maltese Ombudsman Ruling
An Ombudsman ruling found that free glucose monitors should be given to people of all ages. The Health Ombudsman’s ruling stated that limiting the supply of free Continuous Glucose Monitor by age is discriminatory. Advocacy Action: Do you have an Ombudsman system or final arbiter mechanism who could investigate and make findings after other avenues […]
The Caribbean
The Caribbean is one of the most obese sub-regions in the world according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) being the leading cause of premature death. The figures are significantly higher than the global average of 70 percent – with over 80 percent of deaths in Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua […]
More News in Brief: Event Attracts Media Attention
A very successful event was held by Members of Parliament in the UK who invited constituents with diabetes to enter an art exhibition with entries displayed at the House of Commons. The event generated a great deal of media attention for both the exhibitors and for their Members of Parliament. It formed part of a […]
More News In Brief
Diabetic Retinopathy in 30% of Italian Patients At a meeting during the XI National Conference of the AMD Foundation held in Rome, Graziano Di Cianni, president of the Association of Diabetic Doctors in Italy (ADDI) raised concerns that 30 percent of patients with diabetes are also affected by diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy is a serious […]
Diabetes screening based on race, ethnicity may lead to more equitable care
Black, Hispanic and Asian Americans may be at risk of developing diabetes at lower weights and younger ages than white Americans, according to a study in Annals of Internal Medicine. Researchers said the findings highlight the need to update screening recommendations based on race and ethnicity. https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20220602/diabetes-screening-based-on-race-ethnicity-may-lead-to-more-equitable-care US Fact – According to the Centers for Disease […]
Eyesight Risk
A 50 month study of diabetes in India found that one in every twenty five people above the age of 40 with the condition have vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy – one of the most common complications of poorly or uncontrolled diabetes. Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes, caused by high blood sugar levels damaging the […]
Global News in Brief: Only 1 in 3 have Control
A new study, link below, has revealed that only one in three diabetes patients in India have their blood sugar levels under control. The Indian Council of Medical Research decade-long study published in The Lancet (Diabetes and Endocrinology) in April, found that only 36.3 percent of known diabetics have their A1c levels (average blood glucose level over […]
United Kingdom
Mary Kelly Foy, MP for the UK City of Durham, has thrown her support behind a new campaign by local primary care doctors, Dr Paul Baker and Dr Amanda Porch, to cut the cost of diabetes care for the National Health Service (NHS). The MP whose seat is in the North-East of England, has a […]
More News From Around the World
Diabetes Election Issues in Australia During the recent Australian election the two main parties vied with one another on polices for people with diabetes. Diabetes has maintained a high profile within Australian politics thanks to the work of elected members in the cross-party diabetes group and by Diabetes Australia. The latter made a statement during […]