Obesity Fuels Pakistan’s Diabetes Epidemic
A recent article published by The Express Tribune highlights a growing public health crisis in Pakistan: obesity is driving a dramatic rise in diabetes cases across the country. The article points out that Pakistan is grappling with an epidemic of Type 2 diabetes, largely linked to the rising rates of obesity, a condition that affects […]
Processed Foods Dominate Diets of Japanese Youth, Raising Health Concerns
A growing body of research is sounding the alarm on the increasing consumption of highly processed foods among Japanese children and adolescents. Studies reveal that over 45% of the energy in their daily diets comes from ultra-processed foods, contributing to poor nutrition, threatening long-term health, and raising the risk of chronic conditions such as obesity […]
Don’t Forget World Diabetes Day: Mark Your Calendars for 14th November
14 November 2024 – World Diabetes Day (WDD), celebrated every year on November 14th, serves as a global platform to raise awareness about diabetes and advocate for improved health outcomes for those living with the condition. From 2024 to 2026, the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) has designated Diabetes and Well-being as the theme, reflecting the […]
The High Cost of Diabetes: Lifetime Medical Spending in the US
A new study published in Diabetes Care has shed light on the profound financial implications of type 2 diabetes for Medicare beneficiaries in the United States. The research highlights the significant lifetime medical costs that can be attributed to managing type 2 diabetes, particularly in older adults, further emphasizing the economic burden associated with the […]
Rise in sale of counterfeit obesity reducing drugs
Websites and stores selling counterfeit semaglutide products amidst the rise in demand. The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a global alert concerning counterfeit diabetes drugs, specifically semaglutide GLP-1, which are being sold under brand names such as Ozempic and Wegovy, as well as unbranded products. These medications are intended for the treatment of type […]
Baby food found to contain more added sugars in low-and-middle income countries
A recent investigation conducted by Public Eye and the Baby Food Action Network has revealed alarming discrepancies in the sugar content of Nestlé baby foods sold across different regions. An international study, conducted in Belgium, sampled Nestlé’s baby food products, collected from Asia, Latin America, and Africa, that were analyzed for sugar content. The results […]
Weight Loss Drugs
The popularity of weight loss drugs among people who are not prescribed them has led to severe shortages for people prescribed the drugs, including many with Type 2 diabetes. The problem is so severe and damaging to the treatment of people for obesity that some countries are banning the private sale of the drugs. According […]
Lobby to End Stigma
In the wake of a stark revelation on the rampant diabetes stigma highlighted by a global expert panel, consisting of 51 experts from 18 countries, diabetes activists are being called upon to mobilise and engage with parliamentarians for transformative legislative change. The resounding consensus from clinicians, researchers, and individuals with lived experiences of diabetes underscores […]
Research Corner
Childhood Stress Linked to Elevated Type 2 Diabetes Risk in Adulthood, Reveals Pioneering Study https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/01/240117143750.htm Mouse study shows that stimulating nerves connected to the pancreas regenerates insulin-producing cells. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/12/231204135211.htm
Half World Overweight by 2035
A global study presented to the UN predicts that more than half the world’s population will be classed as overweight or obese within 12 years if prevention, treatment and support do not improve. Compiled and published by the World Obesity Federation the report predicts more than 4 million people will be affected, with rates rising […]
Research Corner
1 in 3 adults with type 2 diabetes may have undetected cardiovascular disease. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/1-in-3-adults-with-type-2-diabetes-may-have-undetected-cardiovascular-disease Diabetes linked to functional and structural brain changes. Covid increased the risk of diabetes. Prioritising Maori and Pacific patients for new diabetes drugs pays off http://www.voxy.co.nz/health/5/417649 More Stem Cell research into diabetes with studies in Kenya and the US. Advocacy Action: […]
Obesity Debate
Speaking at the first-ever debate on preventing obesity and fatty liver disease in the UK Parliament, London Ealing Southall MP, Virendra Sharma (Labour) said: “[It] is a public health emergency. Liver disease mortality rates are outpacing those for other major conditions, such as diabetes or respiratory conditions.” In addition to fatty liver disease, obesity can […]
EU Effort to Reduce Medicine Costs
In search of more affordable medicines, the European Commission has proposed increase competition and to make generic and bio-similar medicines more readily available across the European Union. The use of generic and substitution drugs is well established in some EU countries, but not others and range from nearly 70 percent in Italy to under 20 […]
Type 2 Monitoring Importance
Results of a study published in ‘Diabetes Therapy’ showed sustained improvements in readings for people with type 2 diabetes using an advanced Bluetooth connected blood glucose meter and a mobile phone app. According to study co-author, Dr. Elizabeth Holt, Head of Global Medical, Clinical, and Safety, LifeScan: “Blood glucose meters are used by over 95 […]
Questions Around Weight Loss Drugs
Tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro, is an anti-diabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is administered through subcutaneous injections (under the skin). Semaglutide, sold under the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, is an antidiabetic medication used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and an anti-obesity medication used for long-term weight management. A study into weight […]
Hospital Admissions due to Diabetes
30 percent of Hospital Admissions in Trinidad & Tobago due to diabetes Trinidad and Tobago Senator, Charrise Seepersad, raised her concern that 30 per cent of admissions to TT’s hospitals were due to diabetes. Speaking in the Senate during the mid-year budget review, she proposed the consumption of wholesome, locally-grown foodstuffs to counter rising rates […]
Combating NCDs in Namibia
Namibia’s Minister of Health and Social Services Kalumbi Shangula called for a need to ramp up interventions and strategies aimed at combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in the country. He has highlighted the promotion of physical activity and adopting a healthy diet, specifically targeting the reduction of salt, sugar, and trans-fat intake to address obesity and […]
Type 1 Screening Studies Discussed
A three person panel discussed diabetes screening programs in their different countries. Anette-Gabriele Ziegler, MD, Professor and Director of the Institute of Diabetes Research at Helmholtz Center Munich revealed the findings from a screening programme looking for early stages of type 1 diabetes. It found around 80 percent of children and adolescents who develop type […]
Low Carb Diets – Beneficial of Not?
A debate was held at the conference around the issue of low carb diets for people with diabetes. Carol F. Kirkpatrick, PhD, RDN, spoke first, arguing in favor of diets consisting of moderate, high-quality carbohydrates. Dina Hafez Griauzde, MD, countered that very low carbohydrate diets are more beneficial for people with diabetes, primarily type 2 […]
Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease
In the US alone, up to two-thirds of people with type 2 diabetes develop heart disease in their lifetime. A new study published at the conference found that a coordinated care approach improves care for people with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Advocacy Action: What are the statistics in your country for type 2 diabetes […]
IDF KiDS Programme
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) ‘Kids and Diabetes (KiDS) in Schools’ programme wants to highlight success stories from organisations that have implemented diabetes education activities in schools. The IDF KiDS programme aims to bring diabetes education to schools to fight diabetes-related stigma and promote healthy lifestyles for type 2 diabetes prevention. You can share your […]
Tech News
Dexcom has announced that its next-generation real-time continuous glucose monitoring system, DexCom G7, is now available in Canada, for people with any type of diabetes, aged two years and older, including those who are pregnant. https://consent.yahoo.com/v2/collectConsent?sessionId=3_cc-session_74cb3d38-d30a-4cc6-a8d9-23bb9655ca4d Can an artificial intelligence test diagnose type 2 diabetes from a 6 second voice clip? A Canadian team claim […]
Type 2 Diet Study
A low carbohydrate nutrition program delivered online has been shown to significantly improve blood sugar control in adults with T2D. The findings from the ‘T2Diet Study’ conducted at Deakin University, Geelong, Australia, are significant as they demonstrate web-based dietary education can support people with type 2 diabetes, alongside standard care, and provide options for people living […]
Surge in T2D in Rural India
Rural India is grappling with a surge in type 2 diabetes (T2D) that signals a significant shift in lifestyles and dietary habits among the population. The rise of T2D reflects the transition from traditional, physically active lifestyles to more sedentary ones, often accompanied by diets high in processed foods, unhealthy fats, and refined sugars. Data […]
Erectile Dysfunction and Diabetes Risk
A study published in the journal Preventive Medicine, found that Erectile Dysfunction (ED) patients have a 34 percent increased risk for prediabetes suggesting ED is linked to undiagnosed prediabetes and type 2 diabetes in young men under age 40. Although ED is more common in older individuals with long-term type 2 diabetes, the researchers from […]
Income Levels and Diabetes
Data has revealed a strong correlation between income levels and the incidence of diabetes in South Korea. A collaborative research group involving two universities and two hospitals in the country classified 7.82 million adults aged between 30 and 64, who did not have type 2 diabetes, according to their income levels in 2012. The group […]
Optimizing Type 2 (T2D) Diabetes Care
The diaTribe Foundation, that was founded with a mission to improve the lives of people with diabetes and prediabetes, and to advocate for action, held an event at EASD with a panel of Women Leaders in diabetes. The panel discussed strategies to address the growing number of people with type 2 diabetes and called for […]
PDGN in Liverpool
PDGN Secretary General, Adrian Sanders, attended the Diabetes UK Professional Conference in Liverpool where new research was presented that has pinpointed five unique combinations of genes that either help protect people living with obesity and overweight from developing type 2 diabetes, or increase their risk. There were sessions on the issues facing the care of […]
Research News
India Study in India finds socioeconomic inequality in awareness, treatment and control of diabetes among adults. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-29978-y Australia JDRF Australia and the Helmsley Trust have announced a combined additional AUS $12 million towards the continuation of the Environmental Determinants of Islet Autoimmunity (ENDIA) study. https://www.miragenews.com/world-first-childhood-diabetes-study-extended-980714 Denmark A new study published in Diabetologia (the journal of the […]
Study Recommends High Fibre Diets
In a response to the triple-burden of pre-diabetes, diabetes and obesity, diabetologists in India are promoting a high-fibre diet for people with or at risk of diabetes. It is believed that changing nutritional habits have contributed to the rise in obesity and diabetes with a lower intake of fibre and an excess consumption of calories, […]
News in Brief
Real Time CGM Recommended for some type 2 Children In the UK, hundreds of children with type 2 diabetes will be offered the choice of two life changing technologies. Children with type 2 diabetes who currently manage their condition with the ‘burdensome’, ‘tiring’, and ‘stressful’ task of finger prick testing several times a day could […]
Importance of Blood Test Checks in Type 2 Diabetes
The importance of maintaining blood glucose levels within a safe range is vital for people with diabetes. Monitoring devices are crucial in this and evidence from people with type 2 diabetes using a smart blood glucose meter and a mobile app has driven home the importance of such checks. Real-world evidence has shown people with […]
Jamaican Healthy Lifestyle Campaign Launched
With an estimated 236,000 people, or nine per cent of the population with diabetes, a study found that only 106,000 of Jamaicans are aware of their status. These alarming statistics have prompted the Health and Wellness Ministry of Jamaica to announce an initiative to help determine the health status of people through a screening programme. […]
National Plan Delayed by Inflation
Rising out-of-pocket costs for people living with diabetes are hitting hard across the globe. Since 2001, in one country, Diabetes Canada (DC) has tracked the out-of-pocket costs – costs assessed after reimbursement by public insurance programs – of managing type 1 diabetes and added type 2 diabetes in 2003 based on specific composite case studies […]
Close the Gap on Aboriginal Health
The Australian annual Close the Gap Day took place in March and among the many organisations involved, Diabetes Western Australia called for greater recognition of the disproportionate impact of diabetes on aboriginal communities in WA. Aboriginal Western Australians are at far greater risk of diabetes and diabetes-related complications than any other community in the State. […]
UK Closer to One in Ten People with Diabetes
Analysis by Diabetes UK has shown the numbers of people living with diabetes in the United Kingdom has topped five million for the first time. The patient advocacy charity is calling on the UK Government to ensure that national and local health care systems put diabetes at the heart of their plans. Diabetes UK want […]
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 […]
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
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
U.S. Links to Increased Risk of Diabetes
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has conducted a study that appears to show children who have recovered from a COVID-19 infection are at an increased risk of developing Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. According to the results, researchers found a 2.6-fold increase in new diabetes cases among children who had recovered from […]
More Brief News: Depression and Diabetes Support
‘HelloBetter’, a German organisation focused on digital therapy courses, has announced the release of a new online programme that is a reimbursable digital health application (DiGA) for German doctors and patients. The digital therapy course targets people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who suffer from depression. According to ‘HelloBetter’ founder Dr David Ebert, Professor of Psychology and Digital Mental Health […]