Millions worldwide live with type 1 diabetes, and for most the diagnosis came as a shock, following mysterious symptoms such as thirst and weight loss. But diabetes specialists have long known that certain blood tests can foretell the disease years earlier. That has left the field wrestling with a difficult question: Should healthy children get these blood tests, and would knowing about incipient diabetes help them? Early studies suggest antibody testing can prevent complications and delay disease, but some worry about psychological toll.

In late February, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned diabetes patients not to use smartwatches or smart rings to measure their blood glucose levels. Following the FDA’s alert, obesity medicine expert Eleanor Yusupov, D.O., assistant professor at the College of Osteopathic Medicine, shares valuable insight for these patients.

Fifteen-year-old Mia Campos is living with Type 1 diabetes and can now enjoy everyday activities without any limitations thanks to her new "bionic pancreas." Campos's new “bionic pancreas” is a wearable, electronic device that replaces the role of her pancreas and adapts to the needs of her endocrine system over time. The iLet Insulin system was developed by Massachusetts-based Beta Bionics and is one of many new advances in diabetes management technology which are improving ways to automate insulin delivery.

“Precision medicine” involves customizing interventions to the unique genetic and molecular makeup of individual patients rather than relying on symptoms or broad categories. This approach, long associated with cancer treatment, is becoming increasingly critical for diabetes prevention and care. Precise diagnosis and disease characterization affect not only treatment choices but life planning, other health considerations, and even family members’ well-being. It means providing the right diagnosis, best care and insights into outcomes for all people with diabetes.

A recent study led by Indiana University School of Medicine in collaboration with the University of Chicago Medicine presents exciting future possibilities for the management of type 1 diabetes and the potential reduction of insulin dependency. The researchers’ findings, published in Cell Reports Medicine, suggest repurposing of the drug α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO) may open doors to innovative therapies in the future.

The implantable device contains encapsulated cells that produce insulin, plus a tiny oxygen-producing factory that keeps the cells healthy. It could be enable injection-free control of diabetes.

For the well over 700 million people around the globe living with type 1 diabetes, getting a host immune system to tolerate the presence of implanted insulin-secreting cells could be life-changing. Rice University bioengineer Omid Veiseh and collaborators identified new biomaterial formulations that could help turn the page on type 1 diabetes treatment, opening the door to a more sustainable, long-term, self-regulating way to handle the disease. To do so, they developed a new screening technique that involves tagging each biomaterial formulation in a library of hundreds with a unique “barcode” before implanting them in live subjects.

Health care providers play a crucial role in helping their patients prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and manage all types of diabetes. The following resources can support your efforts to screen, test, and refer people to type 2 diabetes prevention and diabetes management programs and services.

Dr. Robert Gabbay, Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, American Diabetes Association, discusses the standard care given to diabetics in 2023. Watch video to learn more.

A new study found that anti-hyperglycemic medications used to treat Type 2 diabetes resulted in an increased risk of multiple sclerosis for people older than 45, particularly among women.