Indholdsfortegnelse for Spring 2023 i Diabetes Self-Management

Dear readers, With winter drawing to a close, are you ready for a fresh start? If so, you’ve come to the right place! One of the changes you may be considering is adding a new device or medicine to your diabetes management routine. And, indeed, the previous year has offered plenty of innovations to choose from. In “New Diabetes Tools” (page 28), find out about cutting-edge diabetes tech and new medication options that have hit the market in recent months. Perhaps you’re thinking more along the lines of making changes to your diet to improve nutrition and overall well-being. In that case, you’ll want a gut check on what current science has to say about the gut microbiome, the collection of bacteria and other microorganisms that inhabit the gastrointestinal tract.…

When people are diagnosed with diabetes, often one of their first questions is “what can I eat?” Many ask for a “bad versus good” food list to help guide their food choices so they can better manage their blood glucose. There are many myths, though, when it comes to appropriate foods for people with diabetes. This includes having to eliminate all sugar, not being able to consume any alcohol, needing to completely avoid white foods (such as potatoes or pasta), and never being able to eat sweets again. The good news is that all foods can fit. Take this quiz to see how much you know about diabetes meal plan myths. 1. People with diabetes should refrain from consuming alcohol for any reason. ○ True ○ False 2. Which food…

Jardiance (empagliflozin), a drug developed as a glucose-lowering treatment for type 2 diabetes, has been shown to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease in a new study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Along with Farxiga (dapagliflozin) and Invokana (canagliflozin), Jardiance belongs to the SGLT2 inhibitor family of type 2 diabetes drugs. These drugs have been found to have powerful health benefits aside from blood glucose control—namely heart protection and protection against serious kidney problems. In addition to their approvals for diabetes, Farxiga has been approved as a treatment for chronic kidney disease and a common form of heart failure, while Jardiance has so far gained additional approval for heart failure. For the latest study, 6,609 participants with chronic kidney disease were randomly assigned to receive either…

Work out?” you might be thinking. “I’d rather be outside gardening!” Relax! You can do both at the same time, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC and other health organizations consider gardening activities such as push mowing, digging, weeding, planting, and raking to be moderate cardiovascular exercise. They recommend getting at least 150 minutes (two and a half hours) of moderate cardiovascular exercise each week to stay healthy. Certain activities, such as digging, moving stones and bags of grass seed and peat moss, lunging while weeding or raking, and pushing a lawn mower, can also build strength. Raking can improve your range of motion. Being outdoors, surrounded by nature, can reduce stress and enhance your sense of well-being. Reaping the health benefits of…

Energy or snack bars can be a good option if you’re short on time to eat a meal, your meal is going to be delayed, or you’re simply hungry and need something healthy and convenient to eat. The downsides of these bars? Some can be high in calories and full of added sugar (translation: high in carbohydrate) and unhealthy fats, making them more like candy bars in disguise. Luckily, there are some better choices if you rely on energy or snack bars to meet part of your nutrition needs. Bars that are made with real foods, such as fruits, nuts, seeds, and grains, and that contain some protein to keep you feeling full (and your blood sugars from going too high) are your best bets. But with so many bars…

1 SERVING | 1 BOWL 2 cups leafy greens½ cup whole grains (basmati rice, wild rice, barley, quinoa, or couscous)½ cup blend soybeans and black beans½ cup broccoliSalsa½ avocadoPinch green onion and sunflower seedsFlavors to sprinkle: cilantro, basil, sesame seeds, or lemon juice 1. Place ingredients in a bowl in the order above and enjoy! PLUNKETT’S TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF THIS RECIPE • Mix up whole grains by choosing from basmati rice, wild rice, barley, quinoa, or couscous.• Use this bowl as inspiration for creating six more similar meals to nourish your week.• Try garbanzo or kidney beans instead of black beans, with 1 cup of diced sweet potato instead of whole grain.• Toss in veggies such as cauliflower, bell peppers, pea pods, onions, and green beans. Sun-dried…

Affecting an estimated 1.9 million Americans, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system destroys the pancreas’ insulin-producing beta cells. After decades of research on the condition, we know that 300,000 people in the United States are currently at risk for developing type 1 diabetes (T1D), including those who have no family history of the condition. But now, there is a method of screening that can help detect T1D in its early stages, helping prevent serious medical complications and save lives. How T1D develops While the specific cause of T1D is unknown, both genetic and environmental factors are involved in its development. As part of the process, the body starts to produce autoantibodies, or abnormal antibodies that attack the body’s own tissues and organs. Criteria for…

Leg Cramp Causes … and What You Can Do Leg cramps are bothersome and can be downright painful. When they occur, they can have a range of causes. Learn about leg cramps and how you can stop them in their tracks. bit.ly/3AWOSfJ Getting Your Steps In There are numerous ways to be active, but perhaps one of the most common is to walk. If you’ve seen your daily step count dwindle recently, maybe now is the time to do a course correction. bit.ly/3OQR9ij Time to Focus on Emotional Health Many people don’t realize just how important emotional well-being is for overall health. Try these tips to handle life’s stresses and challenges in a more positive way. bit.ly/3VBPOy8 Eight Ways to Lose Belly Fat Many people find that, as they get…

An inexpensive gel derived from a medication originally designed to treat rapid pulse rate and hypertension has been shown to be both safe and effective in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers, according to preliminary findings presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). The research (not yet peer reviewed) was the result of a phase 3 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study conducted at 27 sites in India using esmolol hydrochloride gel. The subjects had an average age of 56, a body-mass index (BMI) of 25 to 26 (very slightly into the overweight range), and an average A1C (a measure of long-term glucose control) of 8.4% to 8.7%, which is in the diabetes range. Around 70% of the subjects were men. The participants had…

Plant-based eating patterns are becoming increasingly popular, with roughly 10% of Americans over age 18 reporting that they follow a vegetarian (without meat) or vegan (without any animal products) eating plan, according to the Alliance for Science (an independent nonprofit research institute affiliated with Cornell University). Regardless of whether you are interested in fully embracing plant-based eating or simply improving your dietary intake and focusing more on plant-based foods, there is compelling research indicating health benefits, particularly for those managing prediabetes and diabetes. In fact, the American College of Lifestyle Medicine released a consensus statement in 2022—endorsed by the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology, supported by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and cosponsored by the Endocrine Society—that emphasized a whole, plant-based diet with minimal consumption of meat and other…

Testing for autoantibodies will hopefully become standard in the health care system. Since the majority of people with T1D have no family history of the disease, evaluating for the signs and symptoms of the condition along with screening for autoantibodies should be part of a routine health assessment. If a health care provider knows that a person has a high risk of developing T1D based on positive autoantibody testing, their blood glucose levels can be monitored, and they can be started on insulin right away. This will help prevent the negative consequences of hyperglycemia and DKA that can develop when the condition goes undiagnosed and allow time for counseling and education around living with T1D. Here are some options to be screened for T1D autoantibodies TrialNet trialnet.org/participate A free screening…

The human digestion system is essentially a long tube, but it serves a very important role in the body’s functioning. It is in the process of digestion, particularly in the large intestine, where the food we eat meets the gut bacteria that live and thrive on our “leftovers.” Often when we think of bacteria, we think of the “bad stuff” that causes disease. Cutting-edge research, however, has highlighted the “good stuff”—bacteria that contribute to and even promote health. Recent studies have explored the connection between the gut microbiota—the collection of bacteria and other microorganisms that live in the gastrointestinal tract—and diabetes, with some studies looking specifically at associations between gut microbiome composition and insulin resistance (a condition in which extra insulin is required to maintain normal blood glucose levels). The…

5 Bacterial cells in the body outnumber human cells by about 10 to one. Each person’s microbiome is as unique as a fingerprint. The microbiome is more diverse than a rainforest. The gut microbiome includes not only bacteria but also fungi, organisms known as protists, and more. A person’s microbiome changes over the course of their lifetime. Interested in a gut check about this important topic? Head over to “Getting to the Guts of the Matter” (page 38). 4 Nearly 1.9 million Americans are living with type 1 diabetes (T1D), including 244,000 children and adolescents. About 64,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with the condition each year. Roughly 5-10% of people with diabetes have type 1. Between 2017 and 2020, the incidence of type 1 diabetes has increased…

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Tzield (teplizumab), the first drug to delay the onset of type 1 diabetes, according to an announcement from the agency. The drug works by blocking part of the immune system, stopping its attack on the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. In a long follow-up analysis published last year, teplizumab was found to have a lasting effect in delaying the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes in people at high risk for the condition (based on having a close relative with type 1 diabetes and testing positive for at least two type 1 diabetes autoantibodies, proteins involved in the immune system’s attack on the pancreas). Those results prompted the FDA to give the drug priority review in its approval process. Now, Tzield…

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) have released a new joint report on treating high blood glucose in type 2 diabetes, which was published in the journal Diabetes Care. The new report was written by an international committee of diabetes experts and is the first major update to consensus statements on treating type 2 diabetes from the ADA and EASD since 2019. The latest updates are based on studies that have been published since 2018 and include new areas of focus—including social determinants of health, the health care system, physical activity, and sleep. Body weight management is also emphasized “as part of the holistic approach to diabetes management.” The report includes both very general and very specific recommendations. Some of the…

The cold winter is receding, snow is melting, and flowers are starting to bloom. Spring is associated with freshness and renewal, which makes it a perfect time to renew your commitment to living a healthy life with diabetes. Here are a few tips on food and exercise to help you get started. Healthy eating With the new season often comes a feeling of rejuvenation and the urge to shed any holiday weight gain. If you are inspired by the changing weather to try out a new approach to eating, you are not alone. Research shows that dieting intensifies during the spring. Out of more than 628,000 dieting hashtags found online, 30% appeared during the spring, with 20% during autumn, 25% during summer and 25% during winter. Additionally, the nine most…

Spring is the season that brings new life—the fragrance of blossoming flowers is in the breeze, trees bud, and birds fill the air with song. The warmer temperatures and longer hours of sunlight the season brings help to increase serotonin release in the brain, which is a real mood booster! Why not channel some of this springtime motivation into a kitchen refresh? Use this time to tackle refrigerator and freezer cleanliness in order to keep food safe and fresh. Whether in a restaurant or at home, nobody wants to get sick due to a lack of food safety. Did you know that there are 48 million foodborne illnesses per year in the U.S., causing 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths annually? Additionally, 60% of foodborne illness happens at home. There is,…

During the first couple of years of the COVID-19 pandemic, several highly anticipated diabetes devices that were expected to launch soon in the United States saw delays in their development or regulatory approval. A few of these devices finally made it out of limbo in 2022 and are now available, launching along with other diabetes technology that recently hit the market. But new device debuts aren’t all that happened in the past year—some devices that were already on the market saw significant updates. At the same time, new treatments for some common diabetes complications were introduced, and major new drugs for type 2 diabetes and the delay of type 1 diabetes were launched. Here are some of the most important additions and changes to the diabetes “toolkit” for 2023. HYBRID…

Ginger Vieira (gingervieira.com), an author and patient-expert living with T1D since 1999, chose to have her children screened for T1D autoantibodies. She says, “I was concerned about my future children having T1D even before I became pregnant. I think this is a common fear that so many people who live with T1D think about when deciding whether or not they should become parents. When I first heard about testing my children for autoantibodies, I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to know more. After learning more about it, I realized that if they were autoantibody positive, I could do something to protect them from being diagnosed in DKA and prevent other harmful effects as well.” Vieira shares that she had both children tested at 3 years old. They each tested…

With the proliferation of “anti-inflammatory” diets recently, you might be hearing a lot about inflammation. Indeed, chronic inflammation is linked to many chronic diseases, so taking steps to avoid it (or at least lessen the chances of experiencing it) is important. What exactly is inflammation, and what can you do to stop it in its tracks? What is inflammation? Inflammation is the process in which the body’s immune system kicks into full gear to fight off harmful things, such as injury, bacteria, viruses, toxins, or heat. When inflammation occurs, damaged tissues release chemicals such as histamine, bradykinin, and prostaglandins. These chemicals, in turn, cause blood vessels to leak fluid into tissues, causing swelling. While swelling isn’t pleasant, it’s a way that the body protects itself from further harm. White blood…