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Donna Pacheco

Could Your “Type 2” Patient Actually Have a Different Disease? New Trial Challenges Diabetes Treatment

Endocrinologist discussing precision treatment options with a patient diagnosed with HNF1A-MODY while reviewing genetic testing and diabetes management results.

When a person develops diabetes at a young age, is not overweight, and has several family members with the condition, is it really type 2 diabetes? In many cases, the answer may be no. A growing body of evidence suggests that thousands of people worldwide are living with HNF1A-MODY, a …

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Why Some Young Adults Lose Diabetes Control After Leaving Pediatric Care

Young adult with type 1 diabetes transitioning from a pediatric diabetes clinic to an adult endocrinology practice, illustrating the challenges of the transition to adult diabetes care.

The transition from pediatric to adult diabetes care is one of the most challenging periods in the lives of young people with diabetes. While many adolescents successfully manage their condition with the support of pediatric diabetes teams, moving into adult healthcare often coincides with worsening blood glucose control, missed appointments, …

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Not All Diabetic Kidney Disease Is the Same—Scientists Just Found a Hidden Subtype

Medical illustration showing a human kidney with an enlarged view of immune B-cell activity, representing a newly discovered diabetic kidney disease subtype associated with kidney inflammation.

For years, diabetic kidney disease (DKD) has been viewed as a single condition that progresses in a fairly predictable way. However, new research suggests that this assumption may overlook important biological differences between patients. Scientists have now identified a previously hidden subtype of diabetic kidney disease marked by increased B-cell …

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When High Triglycerides Become Dangerous: A New Drug May Help Prevent Pancreatitis

Medical illustration showing the pancreas, elevated triglycerides in the bloodstream, a glucose meter, and a person with abdominal pain representing pancreatitis risk in people with diabetes.

People with diabetes often focus on blood sugar, A1C, and cholesterol. However, very high triglyceride levels deserve just as much attention because they can trigger acute pancreatitis, a painful and potentially life-threatening condition. The connection between diabetes, high triglycerides, and pancreatitis is especially important because severe hypertriglyceridemia can develop silently …

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A Cholesterol Breakthrough for Diabetes? The First Oral PCSK9 Drug Has Arrived

Prescription pill beside a cholesterol-clogged artery illustration representing the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor for lowering LDL cholesterol in people with diabetes.

For many people with diabetes, lowering LDL cholesterol is just as important as controlling blood sugar. However, not everyone reaches their cholesterol goals with statins alone, and injectable PCSK9 inhibitors can be inconvenient or intimidating. Now, a new option has arrived. The FDA has approved the first oral PCSK9 inhibitor, …

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Farxiga Just Went Generic—Will Lower Prices Finally Change Diabetes Care?

Prescription bottle of generic dapagliflozin (Farxiga) beside a blood glucose meter, stethoscope, heart model, and kidney model representing diabetes, cardiovascular, and kidney care.

For many people living with type 2 diabetes, the biggest challenge is not finding an effective medication. It is being able to afford it. That reality may begin to change now that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first generic versions of Farxiga (dapagliflozin), potentially making …

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The Honeymoon Phase Won’t Last Forever: Are We Doing Enough to Preserve Beta Cells?

Hourglass beside a healthy pancreas illustration with insulin syringe and glucose meter representing beta-cell preservation during the type 1 diabetes honeymoon phase.

Receiving a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes can feel overwhelming. Yet for many adults, the weeks or months that follow bring an unexpected twist. Blood glucose levels often become easier to control, insulin needs decrease, and some people wonder if their diabetes is actually improving. This temporary period is known …

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The “Graveyard Shift” Penalty: Why Night-Shift Workers Face a Hidden Diabetes Challenge

Healthcare worker on a night shift reviewing continuous glucose monitor data while managing diabetes during an overnight work schedule.

Night-shift work keeps hospitals, factories, transportation systems, and emergency services running around the clock. However, while society benefits from overnight workers, their metabolic health often pays the price. Recent continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) studies have shown that shift work is strongly associated with greater glycemic variability in people with diabetes, …

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Teaching Muscles to Make Insulin: Could Gene Therapy Rewrite the Future of Type 1 Diabetes?

3D medical illustration showing skeletal muscle engineered through gene therapy to produce insulin, with DNA strands, gene delivery vectors, and glucose regulation concepts representing future treatment for type 1 diabetes.

For more than a century, insulin therapy has remained the cornerstone of treatment for type 1 diabetes. While continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps, and automated insulin delivery systems have dramatically improved diabetes management, they still do not replace the body’s natural ability to regulate blood sugar. As a result, researchers …

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Could a Mini Pancreas Predict Which Diabetes Drug Will Work Best?

Scientist holding a patient-derived pancreatic organoid in a laboratory with a pancreas model and advanced research equipment, illustrating precision diabetes medicine.

Finding the right diabetes medication often involves trial and error. One patient may respond well to a GLP-1 receptor agonist, while another sees little benefit from the same treatment. As a result, clinicians frequently adjust medications before finding the most effective option. What if doctors could test a patient’s response …

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