Devices for Impaired Vision
This table provides the tools for your patients with...
New System Automatically Updates Weekly Insulin Dosage for Better Glycemic Control with Fewer Hypoglycemic Events
Newly published results from a clinical study of the Diabetes Insulin Guidance System (DIGS), demonstrate DIGS' potential to improve blood glucose control for insulin-using patients with type 2 or type 1...
Electronic Daily Diaries Boost Adherence to Diet, Exercise Goals
In a prospective, randomized trial, people who used a personal digital assistant (PDA) to itemize their food intake were significantly more likely….
Bant iOS App for Your Patients
This is an easy to use application from the University Health Network that has graphs and trends to show...
Artificial Pancreas Testing Approved for Outpatients
The FDA has approved a key testing phase for an artificial pancreas developed by researchers of the University of Virginia, which could potentially automate care for millions of those with type 1 diabetes....
The Next Step toward the Artificial Pancreas Meets Efficacy Endpoints
World's first insulin pump with low glucose suspend feature showed that it reduces the time spent in the low threshold range....
Electronic Diary Helps Obese Adults Stick to Weight-Loss Plan
An electronic diary program helped improve overweight and obese adults' adherence to a weight-loss regimen but the results didn't last after 2 years....
The Artificial Pancreas Works!
In January, Elle, a type 1 normal teenager, walked into Massachusetts General Hospital to start the trial. Doctors fitted her for an artificial pancreas hooked up to a laptop, but in the future, the device will be the size of a cell...
Text Messaging Helps to Manage Diabetes
New published research assessed the feasibility of engaging adults with diabetes in self-management behaviors between clinic visits by using cell phone text messaging to provide blood sugar measurement prompts and appointment...
Glucose Monitors from the Past
I was working with a woman with type 1 diabetes. She was in her 20's and pregnant for the first time. I saw her after she had already seen her OB doctor and nurse for education. While working with her on her meal plan, I asked about her blood...
Surface Plasmonic Biochip to Detect Glucose Levels in Saliva
One holy grail of medical technology research has been the possibility of measuring patients' blood glucose levels indirectly, avoiding the universally hated needle pricks. Not only will this make millions of diabetics jump with joy, it will...
Gastric Bypass Provides More Rapid Weight Loss than Gastric Banding
According to the findings of a case-matched study, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGBP) provides superior, more rapid weight loss than gastric banding (GB) and results in lower long-term complication and comorbidity rates, although it is...
Bariatric Surgery Not a Cure for Diabetes
According to Dimitrios Pournaras, MD as reported in the BMJ, "Bariatric surgery (gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, or gastric banding) leads to complete remission in only about one third of patients with type 2 diabetes, and should be...
Animas Corp Receives Warning Letter from the FDA
In a warning letter to Animas posted online by the FDA, the agency wrote that inspectors found Animas never reported on one complaint about serious patient injury and delayed reporting on two others....
Medtronic Remote Diabetes Monitor Gets U.S. Approval
Medtronic Inc. has announced it has received regulatory approval for the first remote glucose monitor that will let parents check the blood sugar of a diabetic child sleeping in another room....
Closed-Loop Insulin Pump Effective and Safe in Pregnancy
Insulin delivery with a closed-loop system was at least as effective as continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion in a UK study of pregnant women with type 1 diabetes....
New Guidelines Promote Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Type 1's
Both pediatric and adult patients with type 1 diabetes should use CGM to measure blood glucose levels, according to new guidelines....
Pedometers Work to Improve CV Health Faster in Gastric Bypass Patients
Patients who use a pedometer to record the number of steps they take each day after gastric bypass surgery are more active and may be healthier....
New More Effective Algorithm for Mealtime Insulin Dose Estimation
Food insulin index improves acute postprandial glycemia in type 1 diabetes versus carb counting....
Positive Results for New Non-Invasive CGM System
Echo Therapeutics, a company developing the Symphony tCGM System as a non-invasive, wireless, transdermal continuous glucose monitoring (tCGM) system, announced positive results....
CGMS Plus Insulin Pump Improves Glycemic Control
Patients with type 1 diabetes improved their glycemic control by switching from multiple daily insulin injections to sensor-augmented pump (SAP) therapy....
Maggot Debridement Promotes Healing of Long-Standing Wounds
Maggots are an effective, low-cost salvage option to debride poorly vascularized, infected wounds in patients with diabetes, especially when vascular remediation is not possible....
Interactive Mobile App Teaches People How to Manage Diabetes
A new interactive mobile phone app called DiabetesIQ, released this week, challenges people to test their knowledge of diabetes and to compete with one another as they learn about the complexities of the disease....
Insulin Pumps Can Increase or Decrease Insulin Dose when Flying
Changes in cabin pressure during flights may cause insulin pumps to deliver too much or too little of the medication -- possibly putting sensitive diabetes patients at risk, researchers report....
Insulin Pen Devices Chart (MPR)
Hackers Can Remotely Manipulate Insulin Pumps
Insulin pumps are vulnerable to determined hackers who could also remotely mess up the readings of blood-sugar monitors, a security researcher who has diabetes revealed at the Black Hat computer security conference, Las Vegas,...
Diabetes Disaster Averted #46: When It's Too Hot to Handle
I recently had one of my long term type 1 patients on an insulin pump run into a big problem. She had been on an older pump for about 5 years and had recently changed brands because of the features of the newer pump….
New Technology Helps Patients Manage Diabetes
An interactive computer software program appears to be effective in helping patients manage their Type 2 diabetes using their mobile phones, according to a new study....
Compatibility of Glucose Meters with Lancets and Test Strips
How to Use a Mini Dose of Glucagon (pdf)
When your child with diabetes is sick and cannot keep food down, his or her blood glucose can drop quickly....
Surgeons Pioneer New Ways to Treat Diabetes
Surgeons at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center are innovating new ways to treat diabetes using techniques from weight-loss surgery, including experimental procedures to improve blood glucose levels and address...
Insulin Aspart by Jet Injection Enhances Absorption
Using jet injection of insulin instead of conventional pen devices can halve the time required to reach appropriate glucose-lowering effects....
ADA: Scientists Getting Closer to Artificial Pancreas
With lawmakers and diabetes advocates ramping up the pressure, U.S. officials this week outlined a regulatory path for a preliminary version of the device....
ADA: Insulin Pump Suspend Feature Halts Hypoglycemia
Insulin pumps that automatically shut down when blood glucose hits a certain low level decrease the amount of time pediatric patients spend in hypoglycemia....
Diabetes Disaster Averted #40: Pump Confusion
I was sent in to see a patient with very poor control on an insulin pump. When I reviewed his log sheets, I kept seeing 7 unit boluses at almost every meal. I asked the patient why he kept giving himself 7 units...
Progress on the Artificial Pancreas
Initial studies of the artificial pancreas used only a partially automated system to monitor glucose levels and deliver appropriate doses of insulin....
Continuous Glucose Monitoring an Option for Infants, Toddlers
Can continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) be used on infants and toddlers? Should it be?...
Editor's Note: Knowing Your A1c and Learning How to Use an Insulin Pen Correctly
While I was talking to a large group of employees on the west coast of Florida, I made the comment that if you are over 40 and have a family history of diabetes, overweight, hypertension or have elevated lipids, you should get an A1c test at...
Diabetes Disaster Averted #39: Dialing in On Insulin Pens
I recently had a patient whose blood glucose levels were not under control. Her blood sugar was over 400 when she was referred to me and she had started on an insulin pen. Rather than try to change doses I thought I would check out her technique...
Eye Examination Provides Clues to Diabetic Nerve Damage
A simple eye scan may detect early signs of diabetes-related nerve damage....
European Patent Granted for Monthly Epinex Diabetes Test
New patent issued for a monthly diabetes test that can help to prevent complications....
Carbohydrate Counting Improves Glycemic Control for Type 1s
Carbohydrate quantification is an effective and safe strategy to manage glycemia and improve QoL....
Animas' Glucose-Monitoring Insulin Pump with CGMS OK'd in Europe
Animas said it has received a CE Mark in Europe for its Animas Vibe product, which the company said is the first continuous glucose monitoring-enabled, waterproof insulin pump system for people with diabetes....
Cell Phones Keep Blood Pressure and Diabetes in Check
A mobile-phone-based remote patient monitoring system helped patients with Type 2 diabetes and uncontrolled hypertension get their blood pressure (BP) under control....
Self-Monitoring Eases Doctors' Reluctance to Start Insulin
Glucose monitors and at-home record-keeping improved outcomes for orally managed diabetics with poorly controlled disease -- by prompting their doctors to put them on insulin faster....
Why Gastric Bypass Surgery Cures Type 2 Diabetes
Gastric bypass surgery is great for curing Type 2 diabetes. It works for almost 80% of patients. Now scientists are beginning to figure out why and weight loss may be the least of it....
Letter from the Editor: Obesity Headlines, Glucocard 01 Meter
This week obesity is again in the headlines as the Obama administration is planning to ask food companies and restaurants to cut back on advertising unhealthy foods to children. Under guidelines obtained by us from the Associated...
Transplanting Beta Cells on Disc Possible New DiabetesTreatment
Doctors from Hackensack University Medical Center will be the first to try a procedure on humans with diabetes in hopes of finding a cure....
Artificial Pancreas May Improve Overnight Control of Diabetes in Adults
The "artificial pancreas" can improve overnight blood sugar control while keeping hypoglycemia at bay, even after a big meal and a glass of wine....
International Diabetes Federation Announces New Position Supporting Surgery to Treat Type 2 Diabetes
Bariatric surgery should be considered much earlier in the treatment of eligible patients to help stem the serious complications that can result from diabetes according to an IDF position statement....
Letter from the Editor: New Partnership with ISMP and Glucocard Vital Meter
For almost 11 years Steve and I have been sending you this newsletter, trying each week to make an impact on diabetes care with the hope that the information we are communicating is beneficial to you. During this time we have leveraged our...
Beware of Alcohol after Gastric Bypass
One glass of wine will raise alcohol levels significantly more after gastric bypass surgery, and affect the patients driving skills....
New Way to Diagnose Retinopathy
An accidental discovery by an Australian eye expert may hold the key to better management of people with diabetes....
Gastric Banding Associated with Relatively Poor Long-Term Outcomes
In a study of 82 patients who were evaluated 12 or more years after undergoing laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding for morbid obesity, a majority of patients reported that...
Diabetes Disaster Averted #24: A Common Error with Insulin Pumps
I was working with a patient who'd recently had a pump upgrade and although he said he didn't have problems or issues with infusion set changes, I urged him to change his set while I was present. In the process, he did very well with ...
Letter from the Editor: Unexplained Weight Loss
Over the past couple of months I have received calls from three of my old insulin pump patients asking me to decrease their doses. These patients were all using over 400 units of insulin a day and were at least 100 pounds...
Handheld Applications for Diabetes Management
by Janine Manning, PharmD Candidate
LECOM School of Pharmacy
New technological advances over the past decade have led to extraordinary changes for those living with diabetes. Technology has allowed us to go from...
Letter from the Editor: More CDC Data, LTC Caregiver and Patient Education, and the Latest Diabetes Management Apps
The CDC just released new data in their 2011 fact sheet which got overlooked in most journals. They now estimate that 26.9% of all patients over 65 have diabetes. This is almost 11 million patients and many of them...
Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose: Use First or Second Drop of Blood?
The study investigated whether capillary glucose concentrations, as measured in the first and second drops of blood, differed ≥10% compared with a control glucose concentration in different situations....
Fruit Salad and Diabetes Meters Don't Work
After handling fruits and using an alcohol swab to clean the area before testing, you can still get elevated blood sugars from your monitor....
Diabetes Disaster Averted #20: Insulin Pumps and Waterbeds
I recently had a pump patient who suddenly started having a problem in the morning with hypoglycemia, 30 minutes after arising but prior to taking her bolus for her breakfast. We recommended she change her infusion set and insertion area...
Beware: Home-Use Glucose Monitors Not Ideal in Hospital Surgical Situations
In surgical situations, fluctuation in patients' blood glucose levels can be harmful, so physicians take frequent measurements using the inexpensive glucose meters approved by the FDA for home use which were found to be off by as much as...
Diabetes Disaster Averted #19: When It's Not a Good Idea to Recycle
Sometimes, just a simple instruction on the use of an insulin pen can prevent serious problems….
Glucose Meters Can Give Inaccurate Readings
Portable meters used to gauge blood sugar levels in pregnant women with diabetes gave readings that differed from lab tests by up to 16%....
New Product: How high is your blood pressure? Ask your iPhone
How high is your blood pressure? Ask your iPhone
iHealth Lab has announced the iHealth...
Diabetes Disaster Averted #16: ID Bracelet Prevents Trip to ER
I had a patient who was diabetic and on insulin. He was a young man who liked to go out on weekends. I stressed how he needed to wear a medical ID bracelet and he did purchase one....
The Tummy Tube That May Save Millions
A new treatment for obesity and diabetes could save enough money to have a sizeable impact on the economy, a surgeon claims....
Diabetes Disaster Averted #14: Small Type Is a Big Danger
An elderly patient had attained good control with 70/30 insulin pen for a while but recently noticed his control was diminishing...
Medtronic Launches the First Diabetes Management Software to Offer Advanced Decision Support
Medtronic announces the FDA approval and market launch of CareLink® Pro 3.0 Therapy Management Software, the first software program to offer advanced decision support to healthcare professionals managing diabetes.......
Diagnosis and Management of Type 2 Diabetes, 10th Edition, Ch 13-Pt 3
Assessment of the Treatment Regimen, Part 3
FDA Panel Says Okay to BMI as Low as 30 for Lap-Band Surgery
An FDA advisory committee voted 8 to 2 that Allergan's Lap-Band device is safe enough to use in patients with a BMI as low as 30 which increases the patients eligible for the surgery to another 27 million...
Bariatric Surgery Can Mask Diabetes
Bariatric surgery may appear to cure diabetes based on measurements such as fasting plasma glucose and A1c but postprandial glucose may tell a different story....
Diabetes Disaster Averted #10: Look-Alike Syringe Problem
A nurse mistook a standard tuberculin syringe for an insulin syringe and gave a patient 50 units of insulin instead of the prescribed 5 units....
Next Steps for Artificial Pancreas Clinical Testing
Diabetes experts at a meeting convened by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) took the next step in advancing efforts toward the development of an artificial pancreas: putting forth...
Warning: Even Mini-Needles Can Inject into Muscle Depending upon Technique
Defining the ideal injection techniques when using 5-mm (3/16 inch) needles or longer in children and adults is important to prevent from injecting intramuscular instead of intradermally and...
Starting Dialysis Earlier May Be Harmful
Beginning dialysis therapy earlier in the development of advanced kidney disease appears to be associated with a greater risk of death for some patients in the following year, according to a report....
Diabetes Disaster Averted #6: Incorrect Injection Technique Caught in Time
I had the pleasure of working with an elderly gentleman who was living alone. When he switched from insulin pens to....
Surgeons Create Functional Artificial Pancreatic Tissue
Surgeons from Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, are reporting on a whole new strategy for controlling insulin dependent diabetes without daily injections of insulin. The surgeons have bio-engineered a novel matrix that serves as a...
Diabetes Disaster Averted #2: Insulin Pump Mystery
"One of our pump-using patients reported a sudden increase in blood glucose lasting several days. No ketones were present, but the blood glucose was chronically elevated (300 mg/dl plus). Changing infusion sets didn't fix it. Rotating to a...
Diabetes Disaster Averted #1: U-500 Pharmacy Error
Last year I converted a patient to Humulin R U-500 Insulin for use in her pump. I called a chain pharmacy to order the prescription and, to make sure there would not be any confusion, gave the pharmacist the NDC number....
A Review of Insulin Pen Devices
Emily K. McCoy, PharmD and Bradley M. Wright, PharmD, BCPS
Abstract: Optimization of glycemic control is a fundamental aspect of diabetes management, and rates of diabetes-related microvascular complications are significantly...
EASD: Continuous Monitors May Miss Hypoglycemia
Continuous blood glucose monitors may not accurately detect low blood sugar, researchers found....
Gel Technology Utilized in New Artificial Pancreas
A researcher has developed an artificial pancreas that she says could revolutionize the treatment of diabetes....
A1c Test for Diagnosis Not Perfect: Study
The limited sensitivity of the A1C test may result in missed or delayed diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, whereas the use of current OGTT criteria will fail to identify a high proportion of individuals with A1C >6.5%. Further studies and discussion...
FDA & CDC WARNING: Limit Fingerstick Devices to Just One Patient
Fingerstick devices along with insulin pens should never be used with more than one person…
Cell Therapy Improves Foot Ulcer Healing by 31-40%
Engineered skin significantly improved healing of diabetic foot ulcers compared with other advanced biologic therapies, according to an analysis of a larger wound care database…
Adjust Insulin Pump after Exercise to Avoid Nocturnal Hypoglycemia
In diabetic children with insulin pumps, lowering the basal insulin rate after exercise can prevent nighttime hypoglycemia, a new study shows…
Shorter (5-mm) Needles Deliver Insulin Reliably
New research has found that 5-mm needles effectively deliver insulin into subcutaneous fat in both adults and children. Compared with intramuscular injections of insulin, injections into the subcutaneous fat are...
Implanted Wireless Glucose Sensor Lasts 520 Days
American bioengineers have demonstrated that an implanted glucose sensor with potential to transform the management of diabetes has passed a crucial test: the device they developed worked continuously for over a year, without showing...
Possible Groundbreaking Treatment for Diabetes
A London company may be on the verge of a groundbreaking treatment for diabetes. A mini pancreas pouch could begin human clinical trials within a year….
FDA Accepts AFREZZA Resubmission and Sets Decision by Dec. 29, 2010
MannKind Corporation announced that it has submitted, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted, MannKind's resubmission of its New Drug Application (NDA) for AFREZZA™ (insulin human [rDNA origin]) and classified...
Insulin Pump Better than Injections for Some Type 1's
Encouraging research raises new hopes that a long awaited "artificial pancreas" to treat patients with Type 1 diabetes could be available in the U.S. within the next few years....
Surgeon Reports Successful Treatment of Charcot Foot
Charcot foot can make walking difficult or impossible, and in severe cases can require amputation but a newsurgical technique that secures foot bones with an external frame has enabled more than 90 percent of patients to walk...
Study Finds Visually Impaired People Get Insulin Pen Dosages Right
Study shows visually impaired people can use insulin pens even though the labels on the popular insulin pen used by people with diabetes warn against visually-impaired people using pens to measure out and administer their insulin...
ADA: Sensor-Augmented Insulin Pump Therapy Wins Over Multiple Daily Injections for Type 1's
In patients with Type 1 diabetes and poor glycemic control, the use of a sensor-augmented insulin pump significantly improved their A1c levels, compared with a regimen of multiple daily insulin injections, according to a new...
Bayer's DIDGET(TM) Blood Glucose Meter
Reviewed by Dave Joffe, CDE, FACA. Editor-in-Chief
Bayer's CONTOUR® USB Blood Glucose Monitoring System
Reviewed by Dave Joffe, CDE, FACA, Editor-in-Chief
and Alexander Brown, PharmD Candidate Florida, A & M...
TempTouch - Infrared Skin Thermometer
Reviewed by Stephen Freed, Diabetes Educator, BSPharm, Publisher
Simple Blood Test May Predict Who Might Develop Type 2 Diabetes
Doctors may have identified a new and simple way to predict risk for developing Type 2 diabetes....
New Device Predicts Diabetic Wound Healing
A new breakthrough device developed by researchers can change the current landscape of chronic wound management.....
Experimental Artificial Pancreas Succeeds with Type 1 Diabetes Patients
In the first clinical trial of a system using two hormones, an artificial pancreas delivered insulin and glucagon in a way that closely mimics the body's control of blood sugar and maintained near-normal...
Another Try for an Accurate, Portable Non-Invasive Blood Glucose Monitor
Two years ago, a Baylor University researcher developed an effective and accurate electromagnetic sensor that provides patients with diabetes a noninvasive alternative to reading their blood glucose levels. There was just one problem: it was...
FDA Approves Combined Diabetes Management System
The FDA approved Medtronic's MiniMed Paradigm REAL-Time Revel System, a diabetes management system that combines an insulin pump with a glucose monitoring system. The system may represent the next step toward an artificial...
FDA, Baxter Recall Dialysis System that Can Malfunction
The FDA and manufacturer of the HomeChoice and HomeChoice PRO dialysis systems have notified patients of a class I device recall -- the FDA's most serious -- after a number of reported injuries and one death....
One in Five People Who Get Mobility Scooters Develop Diabetes and Heart Disease
They have become a common means of transport for the ageing population. But new research suggests mobility scooters could do more harm than good by increasing the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
FDA Panel Sees User Errors with Insulin Pumps
Diabetics who wear insulin pumps appear more likely to experience problems from improper use than a device defect, members of a U.S. government advisory panel said last week. More education is needed to prevent the most common...
Artificial Pancreas Improves Glucose Control
Closed-loop insulin delivery systems can improve overnight blood sugar control and reduce hypoglycemia risk in young patients with Type 1 diabetes, researchers have found....
What You Eat after Exercise Shapes You
The benefits of exercise can be greatly affected by the food we eat after it....
It's as Easy as 1-2-3 Injections a Day -- Or Is It?
Dave Joffe, BSPharm, ...
New Breath Sensor Could Help Combat Diabetes
A tiny new sensor could provide fresh, inexpensive diagnosis and treatment methods for people suffering from a variety of diseases....
Changes in the Position of Insulin Pumps Significantly Impacts Accuracy
Researchers have concluded that changing the height of a conventional insulin pump in relation to its tubing and infusion set can significantly impact expected insulin delivery rates....
Bayer's Contour USB Blood Glucose Monitoring System
Product Review by Alexander Brown, Sixth Year PharmD Candidate...
JDRF Artificial Pancreas Project Going Forward
JDRF forms partnership with Animas to develop first-generation automated system for managing Type 1 diabetes....
Pedometer Cuts Type 2 Diabetes Risk by Half
A new study using a pedometer as part of a structured education program reduced the chances of Type 2 diabetes by more than 50% in those at risk of developing the condition, reveals a new study. By using a device that costs less than $20 ...
All-in-One Blood Glucose Monitor Closer to FDA Approval
With new financing, the All-in-One blood glucose monitor will be submitted to the FDA for approval probably within six months.
Laser Deemed Best Treatment for Diabetic Retinopathy
Standard therapy still recommended over steroid injections, researchers say.
Gastrointestinal Liner Can Improve Glucose Control for Type 2's
Obese patients with uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes who were treated with an investigational endoscopic duodenal-jejunal bypass liner achieved near normalization of glycemic control in one week, as compared with a sham group.
Warning: Inaccurate Dosing after Insulin withdrawn from Pen Cartridge
Patients or medical professionals who withdraw insulin from pen cartridges are at risk for dangerous errors.
A Message from Medtronic
To Customers Previously Using "Lot 8" Quick-set* Infusion Sets
Entries (RSS News)
