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Blood Glucose Control

Getting to 120 Safely: A Practical Guide to Intensive Blood Pressure Management in Diabetes

Healthcare professional monitoring blood pressure in a patient with diabetes using a digital blood pressure monitor, highlighting intensive blood pressure management and cardiovascular risk reduction.

Blood pressure control remains one of the most powerful tools for reducing cardiovascular and kidney complications in people with diabetes. While clinicians have traditionally focused on achieving targets below 140/90 mmHg, recent evidence and the 2026 American Diabetes Association Standards of Care support a more intensive approach for selected high-risk …

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Should Hospitalized Patients Keep Their CGMs and Insulin Pumps? The 2026 Standards Say Yes

Hospitalized patient using a continuous glucose monitor and insulin pump while reviewing glucose data on a smartphone under clinical supervision in a modern hospital room.

For years, hospital admission often meant disconnecting patients from their personal diabetes devices. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps were frequently removed, even when patients had used them successfully at home. However, the 2026 American Diabetes Association (ADA) Standards of Care introduce a significant shift in how hospitals approach …

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Fasting or Random Glucose Testing? Navigating the New Rules for Cancer Therapy–Induced Hyperglycemia

Healthcare professional performing glucose testing on a cancer patient receiving treatment, illustrating monitoring for cancer therapy–induced hyperglycemia during oncology care.

As cancer treatment becomes increasingly sophisticated, clinicians are encountering a growing metabolic challenge. Cancer therapy–induced hyperglycemia has emerged as an important concern with the expanding use of immunotherapies and targeted therapies. In some patients, hyperglycemia develops gradually. In others, particularly those receiving immune checkpoint inhibitors, severe diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis …

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Why Some Patients Abandon CGM Within Days—and What to Teach Before They Leave the Office

Healthcare professional educating a patient about continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) during an office visit, demonstrating sensor placement, glucose trends, and device use to improve long-term diabetes management.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has transformed diabetes management by giving patients real-time glucose data, trend arrows, and alerts that support better daily decisions. Yet some patients stop using their CGM within days of starting. Often, the problem is not the device itself. Instead, early frustration begins when patients leave the …

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What Really Happens When Patients Stop Insulin Without Telling Their Doctor?

Patient with diabetes sitting at a table with insulin supplies and glucose monitoring equipment, illustrating the risks of stopping insulin therapy without medical supervision.

For many people living with diabetes, insulin is more than a medication—it is a lifeline. Yet despite its critical role, some patients stop taking insulin without informing their healthcare provider. The reasons vary widely and may include medication costs, treatment fatigue, fear of side effects, weight gain concerns, or misunderstandings …

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Constipation, Bloating, and Diabetes: Could Autonomic Neuropathy Be the Cause?

Person with diabetes experiencing abdominal discomfort with a medical illustration showing autonomic nerve damage affecting colon function and gastrointestinal motility.

Many people with diabetes expect complications such as retinopathy, kidney disease, or peripheral neuropathy. However, gastrointestinal symptoms often receive far less attention despite their significant impact on quality of life. Chronic constipation, bloating, abdominal discomfort, and irregular bowel habits affect a substantial number of individuals living with diabetes. In many …

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Post-Meal Blood Sugar Spikes: Are We Focusing on the Wrong Diabetes Numbers?

Healthy diabetes management scene showing a glucose meter, nutritious meal, and post-meal blood sugar tracking chart illustrating postprandial glucose control.

For decades, A1C has served as the cornerstone of diabetes management. It remains an essential marker because it reflects average blood glucose levels over approximately three months. However, many clinicians are recognizing that managing post-meal glucose levels may provide equally important insights into a patient’s metabolic health. A person can …

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Fasting With Diabetes: How Clinicians Can Reduce Hypoglycemia and DKA Risk

Blood glucose monitor, insulin supplies, healthy meal, and dates arranged for safe diabetes fasting management

Patients with diabetes are increasingly exploring fasting for religious, cultural, and metabolic health reasons. From Ramadan observance to intermittent fasting trends, many individuals choose to abstain from food and fluids for extended periods despite potential risks. For clinicians, this creates an important challenge. Simply advising patients not to fast often …

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The Corticosteroid Conundrum: Managing Steroid-Induced Hyperglycemia in Primary Care

Blood glucose monitor beside corticosteroid medication bottle and diabetes log illustrating steroid-induced diabetes management in primary care.

Patients treated with corticosteroids for asthma, COPD exacerbations, rheumatologic disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or cancer-related complications often develop significant elevations in blood glucose. In many cases, these patients have no prior history of diabetes. Yet within days of therapy initiation, blood glucose levels can rise dramatically, creating a challenging clinical …

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Why High-Intensity Exercise Can Spike Blood Sugar in Diabetes

Athlete performing intense exercise while checking elevated blood sugar levels on a glucose monitor in a gym setting

A patient finishes a hard workout, checks their glucose monitor, and feels completely confused. Instead of seeing lower blood sugar after exercise, the reading is suddenly much higher. While this reaction may seem alarming, it is actually a common response to intense physical activity in people with diabetes. Certain workouts …

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