Clinical Director

Another month, another international conference for the CWD Team this spring. After spending a week in Amsterdam for ATTD, the team visited Bangkok, Thailand, for the International Diabetes Federation conference. This conference happens every three years and tends to cover broader topics in diabetes than ATTD. On the first day of the conference, Dr. Chantal Mathieu presented about using CGMs to screen for diabetes. Based on the latest research, Dr. Mathieu suggests that the nomenclature regarding diabetes is shifting to help include those with only one positive antibody, which is still a gray area. She presented data that showed using […]

The CWD Team had the opportunity to attend the Advanced in Technologies and Treatments in Diabetes (ATTD) conference again this year, and it did not disappoint. Here are some of the important updates for the T1D community, many of which were presented in the ATTD Yearbook session. Automated Insulin Delivery (AID) System Improvements AID systems were front and center for discussion at ATTD. There were a few areas of focus this year: Infusion set research and development – detection of infusion set failure, detecting ketones, and reducing inflammation at the infusion set are all on the horizon. Algorithm improvements – […]

Hormonal changes are common throughout the lifespan. Puberty is typically humans’ first major hormonal shift in early adolescence. This shift causes all kinds of changes, which impact diabetes management quite significantly. Another very common hormonal shift is menopause, which occurs in people with a uterus. And, of course, menopause is affected by and affects diabetes management. Menopause basics There is a phase right before menopause called perimenopause, which can last up to a decade for some women. During this phase, hormones start to shift, and menstruation becomes irregular. Once menstruation has been absent for one year, you’ve transitioned to menopause. […]

Traveling with diabetes requires some preparation but shouldn’t stop anyone from enjoying what they want to experience. Whether you’re a road tripper or a jet setter, these travel hacks may help make travel a little easier. Time Zones When traveling across time zones, it’s not always as simple as updating the time on your insulin pump and hoping for the best. Depending on how many time zones you are crossing, it can be beneficial to adjust the time incrementally. For example, if you are traveling somewhere 6 hours ahead of your home time zone, you could change the pump to […]

Everyone has an opinion about diabetes. They also love to share their opinions with people who live with diabetes. Between the questions we get from family, friends, random people, and our healthcare team, it can be exhausting feeling the weight of stigma. So, if you love someone with diabetes, or care for people living with diabetes, here are a few tips for talking to people about diabetes. Even people without diabetes do not have blood sugars in range 100% of the time, so how can we expect people WITH diabetes to have glucose levels in range all the time? As […]

Although everyone has high and low blood sugars on occasion, some levels can be dangerous when you live with diabetes. Here are some of the common scenarios people with diabetes and their caregivers should know about. Severe hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) Most lows are easily treated by the person with diabetes, but depending on the circumstances, assistance may be required. This could be as simple as having someone get fast acting glucose for you or as intensive as giving glucagon. A severe hypo is defined as one where the person requires assistance due to either mental or physical challenges related […]

We are so fortunate in the United States to have a variety of AID Systems to choose from. For many years, the options were very limited. Omnipod was founded in the year 2000 after a father of a boy with type 1 diabetes wanted a pump that was easier for his active child to wear.1 The first tubeless pump was brought to market in 2003. Now, the Omnipod 5 Automated Insulin Delivery System is used by an estimated 425,000 active global customers.2 One of my colleagues from Cincinnati Children’s, Molly Williams, lives with T1D and has been wearing the Omnipod […]

Growing up with type 1 diabetes, I heard a lot from my healthcare team about the risks of getting pregnant. I was told that if I did not have an A1C less than 6%, there were many risks to the fetus and that I was more likely to have a miscarriage. When I talk to my diabetes peers who can get pregnant, they say they heard similar messaging. What was and remains unclear, however, was whether living with diabetes decreased your ability to conceive. While this topic hasn’t been widely addressed, many women I know have shared a common feeling—that […]

In December 2024, I took my first completely solo trip. I have always been weary of traveling alone. First, I’m a whopping 5-foot-1-inch-tall woman, which causes me to feel vulnerable. Secondly, I worry about having a low where I need someone else’s help. These have held me back from certain things and I decided I am in a place in my life where I needed to overcome this fear. Fear of hypoglycemia I have always been lucky (knock on wood) when it comes to challenging lows and had someone close by to assist or just sit with me to quell […]