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Purdah and all that: Elections are coming and not surprisingly, social media has been hotting up. Folks with their political beliefs, whatever their working background, have taken to Twitter etc to highlight their views, giving rise to an interesting conundrum for many. Quizzical looks abound along with head scratching to understand rules of purdah. What is it? Depends on who you ask and how they interpret it. It's been fascinating to observe the wranglings, the debates and what constitutes a breach and what doesn't. As I understand it, stay away from announcing anything new. Some seem to have interpreted it as not doing anything new, but there you go! As an observer, my top tip for those working in the NHS? By all means, express your views, that indeed is your democratic right, just be aware of GMC regulations too about bringing colleagues into disrepute.It's a fine line to tread. To read more, click here. 

Strict blood sugar control in critically ill children with diabetes being treated in intensive care provides no further benefit to their health, research has suggested.

In fact, the study was stopped early because the young participants in the control group were suffering from more infections and low glucose levels. To read more, click here. 

Are you looking for a new job within diabetes healthcare? If you fancy a change in role, why not check out our newly relaunched jobs page. We post the very latest diabetes vacancies for healthcare professionals working in diabetes. To visit the page, click here.

Non-surgical periodontal therapy and rigorous self-maintenance treatment in people with type 2 diabetes may be cost-effective in reducing diabetes complications, according to new research.

Researchers from the Dental Institute at King’s College London wanted to investigate the cost-effectiveness of periodontal therapy, which has been shown to reduce glycated haemoglobin.

To read more, click here. 

Researchers are hoping to develop eye drops for the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

A team from the University of Nottingham has received a £60,000 grant and, if successful, the eye drops could be available to people with diabetes on clinical trials within the next three to five years.

To read more, click here. 

Older people with type 2 diabetes are being over treated with prescribed sulfonylurea or insulin therapies, according to new research.

The research team from the Leicester Diabetes Centre at the University of Leicester, wanted to find out how much sulfonylurea or insulin therapies were being given to people, even in the presence of comorbidities known to increase hypoglycaemia risk.

To read more, click here. 

Dear Mum and Dad,

The day I was diagnosed was tough for us all, and I didn’t realise just how tough it would be for you both from there on. You will probably remember it far better than I do; my cloudy memories of those last few moments were spent watching mum cry as I was taken away from you both to be looked after in the hospital.

To read more, click here.

A new therapeutic approach has been developed which could help prevent diabetes-related amputations, it has been announced.

A team from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Centre (CRCHUM) in Canada say they have found a way to modify specific white blood cells – the macrophages – and make them capable of accelerating cutaneous healing.

To read more, click here.