About 64% of adults hospitalized with COVID-19 had one or more of four underlying conditions, researchers say: obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart failure. This reinforces other studies which have found these conditions are strongly linked to poor COVID-19 outcomes. Read more
Diabetes has already been linked with dementia and cognitive decline. Now, researchers say people with prediabetes also have a higher risk of cognitive decline and vascular dementia, even in the absence of full-blown diabetes, stressing the importance of glycemic control in preventing these conditions. Read more
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), insomnia, and diabetes are often linked and can have an impact on quality of life, worsening the risk for stress and depression. New research suggests the impact is worse on people under the age of sixty-five who experience diabetes and OSA. Read more
People with diabetes are at higher risk of death from the COVID-19 virus at younger ages than people without diabetes, researchers say, and should be prioritized for the vaccine from age 40 and up. Read more
Both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine trials included people with diabetes, and found the vaccine does not interact with diabetic medications or cause problems with overall diabetes control, experts say. However, the immune response to the vaccine can cause temporary elevation in blood glucose levels, so people with diabetes should carefully monitor their glucose for […]
Checking your blood glucose by glancing at your wrist is becoming a reality for more people with diabetes. Wearing a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that can send data to your smartwatch is helping greater numbers of people managing their diabetes. But making sure a particular CGM is compatible with a specific phone’s and watch’s operating […]
It’s been known since the early days of the pandemic that having diabetes increases the risk for severe COVID-19 complications. There are multiple factors that make the combination of diabetes and COVID-19 so serious. Some patients experience an increase in insulin resistance that raises blood glucose levels; plus, COVID-19 is sometimes treated with steroids, and […]
Research says that 73% of Americans now have overweight or obesity. 42% have obesity, and 10% have severe obesity; moreover, nearly 20% of children and teenagers have obesity. The rates of obesity vary between ethnic groups, with non-Hispanic Asian Americans having the lowest rates. Read more
People with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes are at similar risk for increased COVID-19 severity, new findings conclude. Therefore, people with either type of diabetes should be prioritized in receiving COVID-19 vaccinations, researchers say. Read more
Pharmacist-led medication therapy management (MTM) can have a positive benefit on people managing their medications and keeping up with taking them as prescribed, especially when it comes to managing chronic conditions like diabetes, researchers say. Read more
Black and Hispanic Americans with type 1 diabetes who get COVID-19 are at much higher risk to develop serious complications or even die, according to a new study. Read more
Bariatric surgery, which consists of (Roux-en-Y gastric bypass [RYGB] or laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding [LAGB]), was originally intended as a weight loss treatment. However, the surgery has also been shown to cause significant improvements in type 2 diabetes and reductions in cardiovascular disease and death. But there are still questions about its long-term side effects and outcomes. Read […]
Studies on the onset and management of diabetic retinopathy, a condition that is a frequent complication of diabetes and which can result in blindness, have determined that there is a correlation between the degree of retinopathy and the patient’s risk for cardiac problems. Read more
Diabetes is responsible for 4.2 million deaths around the world every year, nearly three times as many deaths as COVID-19 has now claimed. Some experts predict that one in 10 people will be affected by 2045, making diabetes a deadly “silent epidemic.” Read more
High blood sugar levels are correlated with COVID-19 mortality, even in people with no history of diabetes, according to new research. Because of this, early blood glucose screenings in people who contract COVID-19 are needed, the researchers say. Read more
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) originates from fat accumulation in the liver and can potentially lead to scarring of the tissue, cirrhosis, and liver cancer. It is known as a component of metabolic syndrome, which is often related to type 2 diabetes. Currently, there are no recommendations for standard NAFLD screenings in people with type […]
Researchers say that low levels of a protein, pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPPA), that is commonly seen in screening tests for chromosomal disorders in the first trimester of pregnancy is associated with adipose tissue remodeling, glucose resistance and gestational diabetes mellitus in pregnant women. The protein levels could potentially be used as both a diagnostic […]
As diabetes becomes more prevalent, many myths and misconceptions about it continue to circulate — that eating sugar causes it, that only people with obesity can develop diabetes, and many more. How many of these common myths have you encountered? Read more
People with diabetes or high blood pressure who contract COVID-19 may be at greater risk of developing neurological complications such as bleeding in the brain and stroke, according to an ongoing study. Read more
Some studies have suggested that low levels of vitamin D, a vitamin which is produced in the body in response to sunlight exposure, might increase the risk of catching coronavirus and then becoming seriously ill from it.However, other studies say vitamin D plays no role in the virus, so experts are divided. Read more