Clinical Director

When you have a device that monitors your glucose levels as a person with type 1 diabetes, you are likely quite familiar with alerts and alarms. At diabetes events, like Friends for Life conferences, or diabetes camps, you will hear an assortment of alarms from pumps, CGMs, smart phones, etc. It can even be fun to try and pick out what beep came from what device. Less enjoyable are the alarms that we get about our own glucose levels. The feeling that we get when we get a high alert after eating something we know we probably underestimated the carb […]

Ketones can be like kryptonite for people with type 1 diabetes, and the symptoms of ketone build up are often what lead to the diagnosis of T1D. People are increasingly being diagnosed in what’s known as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), which can be life-threatening. Understanding what ketones are, how to measure ketone levels, and what to do when you have ketones is critical to managing T1D. What are Ketones? Ketones are a biproduct of the body burning fat for energy, and for people without diabetes, this is not a problem because their body will level out the ketones. Ketones commonly occur […]

Mental Health Awareness Month is here again and, with it, a reminder of how important maintaining mental wellness is for all of us. Our mental health affects our physical health, our relationships, and our quality of life.1 It also has a huge impact on diabetes management – and people with diabetes who have depression or diabetes distress are at an increased risk for having elevated HbA1c levels.2-3 What is the Relationship Between Diabetes and Depression? Studies have shown that for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D), the risk for experiencing depression is three times that of people without diabetes.4 For […]

Although the advent of insulin has saved countless lives throughout the past 100 years, it’s not exactly a cure for diabetes. Diabetes still requires a lot of energy, knowledge, and perseverance to manage. Insulin must be taken at the optimal time before a meal, in the right location on the body, and the insulin itself must be stored properly to function. When you add other layers of difficulty such as insulin resistance, it makes diabetes management even more challenging. I often find myself saying to others with diabetes that I only want high blood sugars for good reasons – such […]

Life is full of stress, whether it’s the excitement of an upcoming event or the stress over a deadline at work or school. Understanding the effects of stress on the body for people with diabetes can make navigating the added issues that stress causes a little easier. We’ll explain some key insights about stress as it relates to diabetes, and some tips on how to cope with life’s many stressors. Stress and the Human Body When your mind or body feels stress, a hormonal response gets triggered and it signals to the liver that the body needs energy.1 It does […]

As many of us are already painfully aware, diabetes affects everything in the body. But there are some areas that it affects more often than others, and for that reason we monitor a variety of things to make sure everything is working up to par. For people with diabetes, some of the biggest risks for complications include cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, retinopathy, and neuropathy.1 If you have diabetes or love someone with diabetes, none of this is news to you. And this article is not meant to increase your stress! We want to provide you with the knowledge that you […]

Now that the world is beginning to re-open and take us back to pre-pandemic times, we’re all trying to figure out how to take advantage of our renewed sense of freedom. If you have children, you’re probably starting to look at the calendar and figure out what summer camp options are available near you. CWD has you covered with a comprehensive list of diabetes camps all over the United States listed by state. Peer Support Matters1 Most of you reading this can probably remember the first time you met someone else that has diabetes or has a child with diabetes. […]

Despite the significant advancements in type 1 diabetes care over the last ten years, along with having multiple different hybrid closed-loop systems available, most Americans are not achieving glycemic goals.1 Although it’s wonderful to celebrate the trend of decreasing occurrences of complications experienced by people with type 1 diabetes, it’s also important to understand the risks that are still present. Drs. Subramanian and Hirsch from the University of Washington published a recent article discussing the implications of the 30-year follow-up results from the landmark DCCT and EDIC trials, which provides really important insight for people with type 1 diabetes.2 The […]