Diabetes Education - Uintah Basin Healthcare, 210 W 300 N, Roosevelt, UT (2026)

03/18/2026

from Diatribe:
First-In-Human Islet Transplant Still Making Insulin at 14 Months
Transplants using insulin-producing cells allow people with type 1 diabetes to produce their own insulin, but most existing therapies require taking immunosuppressant drugs for life.

However, early research suggests that a new type of gene-edited donor islet cells can survive and keep working in a person with type 1 diabetes, without the need for immunosuppressive drugs. Developed by Sana Biotechnology, modified insulin-producing cells were transplanted into the forearm muscle of a man with long-standing type 1 diabetes. His immune system did not reject the cells, and he began producing insulin.

Data showed that at 14 months, the man's C-peptide levels (a measure of a person’s ability to produce insulin) were comparable to those seen in the first six months, and were higher than at months nine and 12. No safety issues were identified. Sana is now planning a study of a new therapy in development, called SC451, which uses the same gene-editing strategy with lab-grown, stem-cell-derived insulin-producing cells.

💡 Why it matters: This is an early, but important sign that cell replacement therapy could one day work without the need for lifelong immune-suppressing drugs, which have safety risks. Experts caution that this is only one person and the dose used was intentionally low (about 2% to 7% of what would be needed) to evaluate the safety of this technique, so more testing will be necessary to see if it can provide long-term insulin independence and stable glucose levels.

03/18/2026

from Diatribe:
Protein May Prevent Low Blood Sugar During Exercise
Exercise is an essential part of diabetes management, but for people with type 1 diabetes, one of the biggest barriers to exercise is a fear of hypoglycemia. Even when using AID systems and the latest expert recommendations on exercise, studies find that more than 10% of people still experience low blood sugar events during physical activity.

Protein is known to stimulate the release of glucagon, a hormone that counteracts hypoglycemia, but there hasn’t been much research on protein as a tool to prevent lows. Several small new studies have shown that ingesting whey protein before exercise significantly increased glucagon release, in turn increasing blood sugar levels. Both high and low doses of whey protein before exercise were effective, significantly reducing the risk of hypoglycemia by five to 10 times.

Researchers noted that the body’s response to protein was rapid (within 20 minutes), which suggests taking it close to the beginning of exercise could be beneficial for preventing hypoglycemia. Though more research is needed, there was also evidence showing protein intake could be beneficial for prolonged fasting (for example, during Ramadan) and preventing overnight lows.

💡 Why it matters: Though these studies are small, researchers emphasized that protein could be a practical, untapped tool for people with type 1 diabetes to prevent hypoglycemia during exercise. Unlike new treatments and therapies that take years to study and get approved, protein is an easily accessible commercial product you can find at any local supermarket or health foods store.

03/18/2026

from Diatribe:
Trial Shows Ozempic Can Help People with Type 1 Diabetes
Ozempic (semaglutide) and other GLP-1 medications are an effective treatment option for managing blood sugar and body weight. These drugs have been officially approved for people with type 2 diabetes, but GLP-1s could offer benefits for many people with type 1 diabetes who also have obesity and related health issues.

Researchers at ATTD presented the results of a small, seven-month study assessing the effectiveness of semaglutide for people with type 1 diabetes and obesity. During the trial, 36% of participants taking semaglutide spent more than 70% of their time in range, less than 4% of their time below range, and lost more than 5% of their body weight compared to those not taking semaglutide.

Treatment with semaglutide was also associated with reductions in cholesterol and blood pressure. Based on all of these changes, the researchers calculated that the participants who received semaglutide had significantly reduced their risk of heart disease over the next 10 years.

💡 Why it matters: Longer studies are necessary to confirm that people with type 1 diabetes get the same long-term heart and kidney health benefits from GLP-1s as people with type 2 diabetes, but this trial offers evidence that medications like Ozempic can help people with type 1 diabetes safely and effectively manage their body weight and blood sugar.

03/18/2026

from Diatribe:
Fully Closed Loop AID Could Simplify Meals for People With Type 2
For people with type 2 diabetes who use insulin, automated insulin delivery (AID) systems can help make diabetes management easier. But even with AID, meals require decision-making – including counting carbs, announcing food, and timing insulin.

At this week’s ATTD conference, a small study from New Zealand explored how people with type 2 diabetes fared when they tried an AID system that handled those decisions automatically.

Those who went from insulin injections to an experimental version of the Omnipod 5 in this automatic mode, called fully closed loop, spent 68% of time in range (70-180 mg/dL), up from 44% during standard therapy. People in the study did not announce meals or give boluses, and time below range remained very low. A time in range of 70% is often used as a target for reducing the risk of diabetes complications. Those who used the fully closed loop version of the system actually saw slightly better results than those who announced meals.

💡 Why it matters: Systems that can achieve good results without meal announcements or manually delivering insulin could reduce the everyday burden of blood sugar management and make AID more practical for people who want to think less about diabetes at mealtimes.

03/18/2026

from diatribe:
MiniMed AID System Performs Well With New Instinct Sensor
Last year, Abbott introduced the Instinct sensor, a 15-day continuous glucose monitor (CGM) designed for the MiniMed 780G automatic insulin delivery (AID) system. It’s the smallest of the four CGMs that are compatible with this AID system.

New research showed that people who used the Instinct sensor with the recommended settings spent nearly 80% of their time in range. Moreover, people who switched from the Guardian 4 sensor, a larger, weeklong CGM option, to the Instinct spent 2% more time in range. Researchers attributed this uptick to the fact that people using the Instinct ended up leaving their AID system in Auto Mode for more time. This suggests that the AID algorithm, rather than the specific sensor being used, is the main driver of the system’s success.

💡 Why it matters: Research has shown that algorithmic AID systems help people spend more time in range. This study suggests that the Instinct sensor may make it easier for people who use the MiniMed 780G to take full advantage of the system’s algorithm.

03/18/2026

from Diatribe:
Starting Mounjaro Early May Be Best Option for People With Type 2
Mounjaro (tirzepatide), a GLP-1/GIP medication, can help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar and body weight. It’s often prescribed after other, less expensive options have proven unsuccessful.

However, new research shows it may be a good idea to start Mounjaro earlier in people with type 2 diabetes. A study presented at ATTD compared Mounjaro to other treatment options for people with type 2 who didn’t see success with metformin and were within four years of diagnosis. After two years of treatment, 69% of people who started Mounjaro had A1C values below 5.7%, and 49% lost at least 15% of their body weight. In contrast, only 27% of people who tried other treatment options reached that A1C value, and 13% experienced that much weight loss.

💡 Why it matters: This study suggests that starting Mounjaro right away, rather than waiting until other treatment options have been exhausted, may be the best available option for many people with type 2 diabetes trying to manage their blood sugar and body weight.

03/18/2026

Early Trial Testing Gene Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes To Start Later This Year
Although automatic insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) have made it easier to manage type 1 diabetes, these technologies cannot completely eliminate the risk of serious complications and emergencies.

Researchers are continuing to develop therapies that could one day serve as a cure. There are several approaches at different stages of development. The most well-known is islet cell therapy, which has helped thousands of people live free of external insulin, but there’s a very limited donor supply, and existing therapies require taking lifelong immunosuppression drugs.

At ATTD, research was presented on KRIYA-839, a new gene therapy approach, so far only tested in animals, that introduces an engineered virus carrying the gene for insulin into muscle cells. This treatment aims to enable the body to produce insulin on its own, without the need for ongoing immunosuppression. Kriya Therapeutics is planning to launch its first human trial later this year.

💡 Why it matters: At this point, it’s not clear what treatment could become the most effective and accessible cure for type 1 diabetes. While still early, this shows how researchers are exploring ways to replace insulin injections, not just improve them.

03/18/2026

People With Type 1 Diabetes Are Using GLP-1s More
There is a lot of evidence showing that GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro can help people with type 2 diabetes avoid complications like heart, kidney, and liver disease. There’s less evidence for people with type 1 diabetes because drug developers have been more hesitant to run trials due to safety risks like diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

Nevertheless, many people with type 1 diabetes take GLP-1 drugs off-label. Researchers looked at U.S. medical records to see how widespread this has become and shared their preliminary findings at ATTD.

Since 2020, prescriptions of GLP-1 medications have grown exponentially for adults with type 1 diabetes between the ages of 18 and 85. People who started on one of these drugs achieved modest reductions in A1C values and significant reductions in body weight, especially when taking Ozempic or Mounjaro. Now, researchers are analyzing the data to see how GLP-1 drugs may protect against heart, kidney, and liver disease in people with type 1 diabetes.

💡 Why it matters: Real-world evidence like this sheds insight on how people with type 1 diabetes are currently using GLP-1 drugs and helps make the case for more studies to determine the full benefits and risks of GLP-1s for people with type 1. (Diatribe)

03/04/2026

Celebrate by boosting healthy habits at work, home, or school!

Here are 50 ways to get involved wherever you are: sm.eatright.org/nnm50ideas

03/04/2026

This March, discover the power of nutrition during !

Find out how nutrition has the power to help you and your community thrive, and how RDNs and NDTRs can expertly guide you with information driven by science: sm.eatright.org/NNM

02/24/2026

Type 1
Type 2
Skin Care Tips For People With Diabetes
Diabetes affects the skin in ways people may not even realize. Read about this connection and learn how to maintain healthy skin.

As we approach the summertime, exposing a bit more skin and spending more time in the sun, skin care can become a crucial part of diabetes management. In fact, many people with diabetes may not think about how their skin is affected and may not even know that there is such an overlap between diabetes and skincare. People with diabetes constantly experience greater stress on their skin in ways they may not even consider, from wearing diabetes technology and adhesives to having dry skin from high glucose levels.

“The skin shows what’s happening on the inside, and that could be showing signs of diabetes or signs of heart failure, kidney disease, etc.,” said Noelle Wands, a physician assistant in dermatology who has had type 1 diabetes since age four. “The overlap isn’t necessarily a ‘diabetes and skin’ thing. I think of it as a tree: diabetes can affect all these systems and dermatology is one of those many systems,” she said.

A common skin issue for people with diabetes is dry skin due to high glucose in the blood. “Your body wants equilibrium so you draw in water from other organs and body parts to dilute [the high glucose levels in the blood],” said Wands. “That’s why your eyes and mouth can get dry, and then you see your dry skin.” Using lotion on a regular basis can help with dry skin. Some brands even have diabetes specific lotions or creams, but Wands explained that regular lotions can be just as effective.

Many people also experience problems with scar tissue and adhesive allergies from constantly injecting the skin with devices and technology. Wands explained that many people are not aware of their adhesive allergies until after they have a reaction. Scar tissue can also form when overusing the same site on the skin for inserting devices. Try to avoid sites with significant scar tissue when injecting a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) or insulin pump.

Additionally, sun burns can have a significant effect on glucose levels, depending on the extent of the burn. “Your skin is trying to regenerate and [the body] puts a ton of energy into fixing your skin, so you can go low from putting all of this energy into healing it,” said Wands. The healing process can put stress on the body, which can sometimes cause glucose levels to spike as well. “Good sunscreen use will go so far,” Wands emphasized.

Overall, “dermatology is integrated into a diabetic’s life without even knowing it,” said Wands. “It’s very subdued but it’s there.” Fortunately, there are several ways you can maintain healthy skin.

Here are some tips to consider:
Use products with ceramides. Ceramides help prevent and heal dry skin, and overall improve the skin’s barrier. Other ingredients that could benefit the skin include Vitamin C, peptides, and Retin-A. “Those are the magic four ingredients,” said Wands. If you have a specific skin condition, talk to your healthcare provider about other potential prescriptions or over the counter products to use.
Rotate your insertion sites when possible. This can help prevent overuse and scar tissue. For insulin pumps rotate every 2-3 days, and for CGMs rotate every 10-14 days.
Wear sunscreen! Proper sunscreen use will keep your skin healthy and help keep your glucose levels in range and avoid sunburn.
Find an adhesive that works for your skin. Everyone's skin is different, so try different ones until you find the best adhesive for you. If you happen to experience an allergic reaction, one of the main treatments is a topical steroid cream, according to Wands.
Above all, keep your glucose levels in range. Staying in a healthy glucose range is helpful for preventing and healing wounds, scar tissue, sunburns, and other diabetes-related complications.
At the end of the day, Wands emphasized that “keeping your [glucose levels in range] has so many positive effects for your skin you don’t even realize.”

02/04/2026

😴 GLP-1 Drugs May Help People With Sleep Apnea

Obesity increases a person’s risk for developing both type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea. It’s common for a person to have all three conditions.

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) is FDA-approved to treat moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity. Other GLP-1 receptor agonists may also benefit those with this kind of sleep apnea.

In a large new study, researchers looked at medical records to see if people with all three conditions got any relief from their sleep apnea symptoms when they started taking GLP-1 drugs. Compared to SGLT-2 inhibitors like Jardiance, starting on a GLP-1 was associated with a reduced need for a CPAP machine for sleep apnea and fewer deaths and hospitalizations. Tirzepatide was the most effective of the GLP-1 drugs.

💡WHY IT MATTERS

For those who have obesity and type 2 diabetes, this research indicates these medications may improve obstructive sleep apnea and offer a pathway to better health.
-JAMA Network Open

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