1st edition – Friday, March 28, 2014

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Sanofi launches blood glucose monitor with estimated HbA1c

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Trend for #bloodsugarselfie goes viral

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New counting carbs app launched

IN OTHER NEWS

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Diabetes amputations avoidable say MPs

Hundreds of people with diabetes might have had limbs removed unnecessarily due to differences in treatment in various locations, according to politicians.

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Vascular Disease has highlighted patients in the south west are almost twice as likely to be given amputations as those with the same problem in London.

For the full story, click here.

Lack of care planning failing people with diabetes

Almost two thirds of people with diabetes do not have a personal care plan in place despite them being vital for enabling people to manage the condition.

Diabetes UK’s annual online survey about the healthcare people with diabetes receive, which was completed by 1,609 people with the condition, has found that 64.9 per cent of people said they had no care plan in place.

For the full story, click here.

Sanofi launches blood glucose monitor with estimated HbA1c

Sanofi has launched the first self-monitoring device that provides estimates of the HbA1c value, a key indicator for long-term glucose control.

The company claims its MyStar Extra® blood glucose monitoring device may help people with diabetes better understand the meaning of their test results in the context of overall treatment goals.

Several extra features of the device may help people with diabetes stay motivated and engaged in managing their insulin therapy, Sanofi said.

For the full story, click here.

Trend for #bloodsugarselfie goes viral

Social media users will be familiar with the recent campaign to raise funds for breast cancer by posting ‘selfies’ and now the diabetes community has created a phenomenon of its own to raise cash for diabetes research.

Followers who upload their selfies showing their blood sugar levels can donate money to diabetes charity groups, including JDRF, the world’s leading charitable funder of type 1 diabetes research.

The campaign in statistics:

1.2 million people have seen the bloodsugarselfie hashtag -
45,000 likes
4,500 comments
3000 shares
250,000 clicks to see the selfies
80,000 people on twitter have joined in or been reached
800 selfies have been posted

For the full story, click here.

New counting carbs app launched

A new mobile phone app for carbs counting with home cooked food aimed at people with diabetes has been launched.

Cook & Count Carbs, which claims to be the first of its kind, is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch in the Apple iTunes store and can soon be downloaded on Android.

It is for home cooking and has a comprehensive and trustworthy UK government database.

The app is designed to encourage people to cook at home and therefore eat more healthily.

For the full story, click here.

Diabetes digest

Places available at West Midlands study day

Places are still available for a diabetes study day for healthcare professionals taking place in Birmingham on Friday, May 16.

The InDependent Diabetes Trust is organising the West Midlands Diabetes Study Day, with speakers including Professor Roger Gadsby, Dr Vinod Patel, Dr Gary Adams and Roisin Wright.

To book or for further information, email events@iddtinternational.org or call 01604 622837.

New school law for children with Type 1 diabetes

A new law set to improve support in schools for children with Type 1 diabetes was given the green light yesterday.

It will mean all schools in England will be required by law to make sure children with medical conditions such as Type 1 diabetes, asthma and epilepsy, get the proper care they need in school.

For the full story, click here.

Diabetes no longer leading cause of blindness

Research by the Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Institute of Ophthalmology has found hereditary retinal disorders had overtaken diabetic eye disease as the most common cause of blindness. For the full story, click here.

Call for more psychological support

Psychological support should be a priority for diabetes care in the UK alongside improved education and self-management of the condition, experts have said on the back of a major study.

For the full story, click here.