CWD News

When you have type 1 diabetes, your body stops making its own insulin. Additionally, the normal communication between the pancreas and the liver is disrupted. In someone without diabetes, the pancreas and the liver balance blood sugars through insulin and glucagon. Glucagon is a hormone that tells the liver to send glucose stores into the bloodstream, and it is made synthetically for people at risk for low blood glucose, such as people with diabetes. People with diabetes on insulin should have glucagon available in case of a hypoglycemic emergency. The original process of giving or receiving glucagon required mixing a […]

Many people around the world are feeling the effects of burnout from having lived through a pandemic for the last couple of years. They’re tired of wearing masks and social distancing, and I completely understand it. But when you experience burnout from your diabetes, you are unable to simply stop thinking about it; you have to continue to care for yourself. So, what are you supposed to do when you experience diabetes burnout? Can you prevent burnout, or is it bound to happen to everyone at some point? What resources are available to you? How do you find out if […]

When you are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you learn all the “rules” from your diabetes care team, such as how, when, and where (on what body part) to take insulin; how to count carbohydrates; what to do when you are ill; and what devices you should consider using. But, sometimes, even when you do everything as taught, your blood sugars don’t behave like you think they will. Sometimes you can take the same amount of insulin for the exact same meal three times in a row and can have three different results. There are many variables that can affect […]

In honor of Black History Month, CWD wants to recognize some of the organizations that are working diligently towards reducing racial health disparities in the U.S. Before we can do that, we will provide some important context so that the challenges and the work are better understood. What are health disparities or inequities? Health disparities are defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as “preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations.” (CDC: Health Disparities, 2020) There are many different types of […]

Being a young adult is one of the most exciting times in life. Usually, it’s a period of life full of excitement and life changes. As a result, it can also be one of the most difficult times to manage diabetes.1 In fact, recent research has shown that less than 20% of people with type 1 diabetes aged 18-25 years are meeting their diabetes targets.2 One of the best ways to set your adolescent or young adult up for success is to ensure they have adequate support. Health care professionals and researchers refer the young adults as “emerging adults” that […]

Almost three-quarters of adults 20 years or older in the United States are overweight, with 42.5% of adults meeting the C.D.C.’s definition for obese.1 For people with type 1 diabetes, the incidence may be even higher according to studies over the past ten years, partially due to the increase in weight gain when on intensive insulin therapy.2 Increased weight adds additional challenges for people with type 1 diabetes, including insulin resistance and increased risk for complications. One of the biggest barriers to losing weight for people with diabetes is fear of hypoglycemia that goes along with exercise, weight loss and […]

Automated Insulin Delivery is something that people with diabetes have been dreaming of for decades. Thanks to the advent of technologies such as the continuous glucose monitor (CGM), this dream has become more of a reality for people who have access to the latest hybrid closed-loop systems. These systems use the CGM data to adjust the insulin given through the insulin pump, allowing for decreased burden and more time in range. There is still work required by the user, but it’s certainly a step up from what we’ve had for the last 100 years. There also is usually a lag-time […]