type 2 diabetes

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Diabetes Myths Debunked from Beyond Type 2

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Have you heard about Beyond Type 2? We are big fans. This site is chock full of resources and guides for living with and understanding Type 2 diabetes. I want to point out the Diabetes Myths Debunked article. It covers a lot of territory and is definitely worth a read.

From Beyond Type 2... 11 Myths About Diabetes

Check out the entire article to find out the truth about these topics.

  1. Diabetes isn't that serious.

  2. You get Type 2 diabetes after you have been scared.

  3. Being overweight causes diabetes; thin people don't have diabetes.

  4. I can never eat sweets or my favorite foods again and have to follow a strict, bland diet.

  5. Diabetes doesn't run in my family, so I'm good to go.

  6. It's okay to stop taking my medication once my blood sugar is under control.

  7. Type 2 diabetes is a death sentence.

  8. Going on insulin means you "failed" at diabetes management.

  9. Type 2 diabetes can be cured.

  10. Insulin causes blindness.

  11. Eating too much sugar causes Type 2 diabetes.

Don't forget to check out the Beyond Type 2 website!

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Awesome Beyond Type 2 Website Launches

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Check out the new Beyond Type 2 website , the sister site to Beyond Type 1 , a well-established favorite of ours. It is a beautiful site with excellent resources on a disease that will benefit from a fresh voice for information and support. I love the Recently Diagnosed? Learn the Lingo page to get started.

In the words of the Beyond Type 2 founders:

"Launched in 2019, Beyond Type 2 is a program of the nonprofit organization Beyond Type 1. Beyond Type 2 is a place for everyone impacted by Type 2 diabetes to share their stories, get connected to the community, and find resources on topics from daily management to mental health...Beyond Type 2 hopes to radically change what it means to live with Type 2 diabetes. We aim to unite the global community and empower everyone living with Type 2 to live beyond it. With the right resources, programs, and power of our combined voices, we can redefine what it means to be a person living with diabetes – of any type."

You won't regret taking some time with this website. Explore Beyond Type 2 at beyondtype2.org.

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Dexcom G6 CGM Receives CMS Approval & Will Be Available to Medicare Beneficiaries in Early 2019

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More great news has been announced about CGM! The Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor (CGM) will be covered for Medicare beneficiaries, starting in early 2019. CGMs are DME items that provide critical information on blood glucose levels to help patients with diabetes better manage their disease. Coverage for therapeutic CGM includes certain beneficiaries who have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and intensively manage their insulin.

The Dexcom G6 CGM shines because of the following advantages:

  1. Zero fingersticks

  2. Acetaminophen blocking to maintain accuracy while taking Tylenol

  3. Smartphone app that allows data to be shared with family members, providers, and other members of a patient's care team

  4. Super easy application device

  5. Very small and discreet sensor

  6. Integration with the tSlim:X2 insulin pump from Tandem Diabetes, which is also covered by Medicare

Healthy Living will be able to provide the G6 to Medicare members – stay tuned for updates on this exciting news! Read the press release directly from Dexcom.

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Research Underway to Create a Cannula with Lower Risk of Infection & Inflammation

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A professor at the University of Central Florida, Elizabeth Brisbois, is working to develop a cannula that can be left in place for as long as 30 days while effectively delivering insulin into the body. Cannulas are small tubes that are inserted beneath the skin to deliver insulin into the body as part of an insulin pump system. The cannula can either be part of the infusion set or attached to the actual insulin pump. Normally, over time, the body’s immune system attacks the cannula, with cells creating a film around the cannula that begins to inhibit proper insulin delivery. That is why infusion sets normally need to be changed every two to three days to reduce the risk of infection. 

Brisbois’ goal is to create cannulas that have a lower risk of infection and inflammation, with reduced pain and inconvenience for patients. She and her team are developing cannulas that release nitric oxide, a molecule that can kill bacteria. Nitric oxide is also produced in the body to fight off germs and has an important role in wound healing.

This advance could significantly increase quality of life for people living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Brisbois and her team are funded by a recent grant from the JDRF and are collaborating with researchers at the University of Georgia. Learn more about the cannula research here.

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What We’re Reading: Facing Diabetes on Her Own Terms…from the HAP Blog

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We have been checking out the HAP Balanced Living blog and recently found this awesome article – Facing Diabetes on Her Own Terms: How One Woman Took Control of Her Life. This article is about Shannon, a woman diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, who found a way to manage her disease without medication, through motivation and focus.

Shannon had a family history of diabetes, so when she was diagnosed, she regarded the situation very seriously. She knew that she needed to make changes, and when she had a physically adverse reaction to metformin (a drug used to control blood sugar), she became determined to find an alternative to medication. To learn more about managing diabetes, Shannon took hospital-based classes for people recently diagnosed with the condition. Then, she also joined the diabetes prevention program at Henry Ford Macomb Hospital which provided great support and education.

Shannon also dove into exercise and improved her dietary choices. She started her exercise routine slowly to work around previous injuries, but she kept going. To adjust her diet, she looked at serving sizes and nutrition information about what she was eating. “The changes needed to battle diabetes can be overwhelming if you try to make them all at once,” Shannon explained, “Don’t be so strict that you set yourself up for failure.”

Healthy Living Medical Supply is in network with Health Alliance Plan of Michigan for diabetes testing supplies, insulin pumps, insulin pump supplies, and continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGM). If you are a Health Alliance Plan of Michigan member and are looking for diabetes-related supplies delivered to your doorstep with great customer care, give us a call at 866.779.8512 or send us a text message at 248.577.9903 to start the easy enrollment process.

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Yale Researchers Work Toward New Treatment for Type 2

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Topological map of a toxic pore formed by hundreds of copies of the hormone IAPP.

Topological map of a toxic pore formed by hundreds of copies of the hormone IAPP.

Andrew Miranker and his team have focused their recent studies on a simple hormone in all of us – islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP). Certain forms of this hormone actually poke toxic holes in cells, and this Yale team is leveraging this information to create new therapies to treat type 2 diabetes.

The progression of type 2 diabetes is tied to the health of insulin-producing cells in the islets, which are groups of cells in the pancreas. These cells are responsible for coordinating the release of insulin in response to changes in blood glucose. The failure of the islets over time plays an important role in the cause of type 2 diabetes as the body loses the ability to regulate blood glucose. Currently, there are no approved drugs available to treat the actual causes of type 2 diabetes.

Miranker’s lab is working with islet amyloid polypeptide (IAPP), a protein partner to insulin. This hormone is made by the same cells as insulin. When IAPP takes on the wrong shape, it pokes holes in the membranes of islets…holes that are large enough to kill these insulin-secreting cells. The Yale team is working hard to design a compound to target the particular, destructive IAPP structure in order to prevent toxicity.

IAPP works alone in its healthy state, but the toxic version is made up of tens to hundreds of copies of the protein.  This creates a widely sprawling structure, and controlling it requires a different approach from those of traditional drugs. A great visual, Miranker’s team is designing a drug that acts like a fork for the spaghetti-like structure of IAPP to wrap around. The Miranker lab has developed a drug lead, ADM-116, that binds to IAPP by crossing the outer cell membrane, finding IAPP, and winding it up. By doing this, ADM-116 prevents IAPP from punching a hole in a sensitive internal cell membrane. This process essentially rescues cells that make insulin.

Using these discoveries, Miranker and his team, and the new Connecticut-based biotechnology company, ADM Therapeutics, will translate these discoveries into drugs that improve the long-term health of these cells. Although this research is currently focused on type 2 diabetes, these approaches will also apply to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

Learn more from the YaleNews article, “Taming an unruly target in diabetes.” 

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The Top 11 Questions about CGM & What You Need to Know

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If you are living with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) can help you make more informed treatment decisions that can lead to better glycemic control. 

Top 11 Questions about CGM

1. What information will I get from Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM)?

CGM measures glucose in the tissue fluid throughout the day and night, about every five minutes, and sends the collected data to a receiver, phone, or insulin pump. This information can tell you how your glucose levels are trending, so you can make better decisions about your insulin dosing.

2. Can I set a ‘safe range’ for my blood glucose readings?

You can set thresholds for high and low numbers, and the CGM will alert you when it senses your glucose levels have moved out of the range you set.

3. Do I still have to test my blood sugar when I am using CGM?

With CGM, to calibrate the sensor, you will still have to test your blood sugar 2-4 times per day, depending on the CGM system you have.

4. What parts make up a CGM system?

A CGM system consists of three parts:

  • A small under-the-skin sensor that measures glucose levels
  • A transmitter that attaches to the sensor and transmits data
  • A receiver that displays real-time glucose information

5. Do I need an insulin pump to use CGM?

No – although some CGM systems can tie in with a pump, CGM can be used independently.

6. What types of CGM systems are available right now?

Medtronic and Dexcom both offer CGM systems with different features.

7. How long can I wear CGM sensors before I need to change them?

You can wear sensors for 5-7 days, depending on which CGM system you are using.

8. Can I use the same insertion site for my insulin pump and CGM sensors?

No, CGM and an insulin pump require two different sites.

9. Can parents and other care team members access a patient’s CGM data?

Yes, certain models of CGM systems are compatible with the iPhone to allow care team members to remotely monitor CGM data via text alerts and/or an iPhone app. This can be especially helpful to parents who have children with diabetes, as they can monitor their blood sugar levels from afar (for example, the daughter is at school and her dad is at work).

10. Can I view CGM data on a smartwatch?

Yes, Dexcom G5 will display CGM on an Apple Watch. Visit Dexcom's Apple Watch page to learn more.

11. Is CGM covered by insurance?

Yes, CGM is covered by many insurance plans. Our Insulin Pump & CGM Therapy Team can help you obtain a prescription from your doctor, navigate the insurance verification process, and place your CGM system order. They also help customers with CGM supply refills.

You can reach George and Crystal on the Healthy Living Insulin Pump & CGM Therapy Team at (866)779-8512 (Option 2) and learn more about CGM and the systems we offer at myhlms.com/cgm.

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Keep Learning - A Visual Guide to Type 2 Diabetes

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Sometimes conditions like Type 2 Diabetes can be hard to understand, and hard to explain to others. WebMD offers a great overview of Type 2 Diabetes in Slideshow: A Visual Guide to Type 2 Diabetes.

Go at your own pace to learn about Type 2 Diabetes, or use this slideshow as a tool to educate your friends and family members. The presentation has interesting and clear images and photos, and simple, easy-to-understand descriptions and explanations. Its value is in its simplicity and clean presentation.

The slideshow teaches about these areas of Type 2 Diabetes:

·        Prevention

·        Symptoms

·        Diagnosis

·        Treatment

·        Details of the condition

·        Risk factors

·        Long-term effects

Keep learning and empowering yourself with knowledge about diabetes!