June 21, 2020

Telehealth Programs Improve Blood Sugar for Rural Americans With Diabetes

FRIDAY, June 19, 2020 -- If you have diabetes and live in rural America, the closest specialist may be hours away. But new research shows that effective help may be as close as your phone.

The study found that a six-month telehealth program led to a significant drop in blood sugar levels. Participants had an average A1C level of 9.25% at the study's start and an average of 7.89% at the end. That benefit was maintained a year after the study ended.

June 18, 2020

Continuous Glucose Monitors Help With Type 1 Diabetes at Any Age

WEDNESDAY, June 17, 2020 -- Technology often makes life easier to manage, and new research confirms that's definitely the case for people with type 1 diabetes.

Continuous glucose monitors -- devices that approximate blood sugar levels every few minutes -- can help teens and young adults better manage their diabetes. They can also help older adults prevent dangerously low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia), according to two new studies.

June 18, 2020

COVID-19 Death Risk 12 Times Higher for Those With Chronic Health Conditions

TUESDAY, June 16, 2020 -- With U.S. coronavirus cases now past 2 million, a new report finds that COVID-19 is much more lethal for Americans with underlying health issues -- illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes or lung ailments.

In fact, "deaths were 12 times higher among patients with reported underlying conditions," compared to healthy individuals, according to an analysis of more than 1.3 million cases of COVID-19 reported to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by May 30.

May 5, 2020

Obesity Is Biggest Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factor

THURSDAY, April 16, 2020 -- Whether you have a low or a high genetic risk for type 2 diabetes, obesity seems to be the driving factor in developing the disease, Danish researchers say.

Their new study found that obesity increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by at least six times, no matter what a person's genetic risk was.

May 5, 2020

Heart Attacks, Strokes Are Declining Among People With Diabetes

FRIDAY, May 1, 2020 -- An Australian study has good news for people with type 2 diabetes -- fewer people with diabetes are having heart attacks and strokes compared to 20 years ago.

Heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular complications have declined in the general population, too. But the decreases among people with diabetes have outpaced those for the general population, the researchers said.

April 29, 2020

Could Your Contact Lenses Track, Treat Your Diabetes?

FRIDAY, April 24, 2020 -- Contact lenses may someday do more than correct poor vision, with new, preliminary research in animals suggesting they could also monitor your diabetes and deliver medications.

The new lenses were designed to check blood sugar levels and to deliver drugs to the eye, possibly for the eye disease related to diabetes called diabetic retinopathy. After trying them out on rabbits, scientists found the new lenses worked on both counts.