25th edition – Friday, February 13, 2015

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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'Smart' insulin automatically adjusts blood sugar in mice

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Supplies appeal for Ghanaian diabetes clinics

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'We're not trying to cheat the system, we need medication to survive'

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Glucose monitoring on new Apple watch app

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Inhaled insulin now available in US

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The perennial question... Dr Partha Kar’s latest blog post

You work for the NHS. Sure? You work for the patients. Sure? You work for whoever employs you. Is that better? A perennial bone of frustration for many who would like variability to lessen...the debate as ever is who do you actually owe your allegiance to? The public would say "us"...we pay taxes, we pay your salaries, surely you owe your allegiance to us. Or is it the NHS? We always balk at the suggestion of something like Tesco but we partly marvel at its consistency whether the store is in Stoke or Southampton while also wonder about the monotonous nature of all the stores. Is variety the spice of life?

In an ideal world, you would think we would all be employed by the NHS and thus work to a standard. Anyone who has been in the system will tell you that's pretty much a fantasy...we do a lot of things well in the NHS , consistency isn't one of them. If ever in doubt, beyond the tub thumping evangelists, ask junior doctors. An under used resource, they at least to me, have always known the real truth...very few work in so many organisations, very few will vouch that the level of care was equivalent everywhere they worked. Why is that? Is that simply due to variability of staff? Is that simply because of lack of leadership? Partly yes, but partly because we live in a world of competing interests, a world of different targets to hit, different financial drivers...the issue is lack of honesty about that basic thing.

To read more, click here.

JDRF in international research mission

JDRF is one of four leading medical research charities which have come together to fund a major new research programme between Britain and Israel.

The Type diabetes 1 charity along with the British Heart Foundation, the MS Society and Parkinson’s UK are leading contributors to a £3.2 million fund to attempt to find cures for a host of challenging conditions and diseases.

To read more, click here.

'Smart' insulin automatically adjusts blood sugar in mice

Scientists have developed a “smart” insulin that self-activates in response to blood sugar levels, according to new research.

The new compound developed by scientists from the University of Utah automatically activates when blood sugar levels soar, and remains in circulation for up to 24 hours.

When blood sugar is high, the insulin becomes active, working quickly to normalise blood sugar levels. One injection of the smart insulin, called Ins-PBA-F, can repeatedly and automatically normalise blood sugar levels over a minimum of 14 hours in mice with a Type 1 diabetes-like condition, according to a study published on Monday in PNAS Early Edition.

To read more, click here.

Supplies appeal for Ghanaian diabetes clinics

A Diabetes Specialist Nurse who organises clinics in Ghana in her spare time is appealing for medical equipment.

Anna Vanderpuye, from London’s Kings College Hospital, is looking for insulin, test strips, blood glucose monitors, a HbA1c monitor and a cholesterol testing kit for her ‘Diabetes Health Days’. To read more, click here.

'We're not trying to cheat the system, we need medication to survive'

“Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high” – NHS Choices.

Yes, diabetes is a lifelong condition, the NHS clearly states that message. Healthcare professionals break that jaw-dropping news to us and our families when we are diagnosed, we read about it in the papers, it stays in our minds with every injection, cannula change and finger-prick test we do, and we have no way of getting away from this incurable condition that we live with day in and day out. To read more, click here.

Glucose monitoring on new Apple watch app

An app is being developed to allow people with diabetes to check their blood sugar levels on Apple’s new smart watch.

It will enable people to share their blood sugar information with others who also have an Apple Watch or an iPhone. To read more, click here.

Inhaled insulin now available in US

An inhaled insulin has gone on sale in America this month.

Afrezza, developed by MannKind and licensed to pharmaceutical company Sanofi, is available in the US market for people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes on prescription as a bolus insulin. To read more, click here.

DIABETES DIGEST

Hollywood star backs JDRF campaign

BAFTA-nominated Felicity Jones took time out of her busy schedule preparing for the film awards over the weekend to support JDRF’s Type 1 diabetes awareness campaign.

The actor has backed the #CountMeIn campaign which is calling on the UK Government to give better support to Type 1 diabetes research. To read more, click here.

Professor gets global diabetes role

Professor Alan Sinclair, an internationally and nationally recognised researcher in the field of diabetes and older people has been recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) by being appointed to one of its prestigious Expert Working Groups. To read more, click here.

Conference season swings into action

The spring conference season has sprung with a number of diabetes events scheduled.

More than 3,000 people working in the diabetes community are expected to attend Diabetes UK’s ‘Professional Conference 2015’ taking place between 11 to 13 March. To read more, click here.

Diabetes firm expands with senior appointment

Spirit Healthcare has bolstered its senior diabetes team as part of a “continuing expansion”.

Kirstyn Nicholas, who has specialised in diabetes medical devices for 10 years, has joined the Leicestershire-based company as Regional Business Director. To read more, click here.

JDRF in hunt for marathon runners

Runners are being invited to take part in the Brighton Marathon to raise funds for JDRF.

The Type 1 charity has a number of guaranteed places for the event, which takes place on Sunday, April 12, 2015. To read more, click here.

Women with Type 1 diabetes face ‘higher risk’ of dying compared with men

Women with Type 1 diabetes face a greater risk of dying from a range of diseases compared with men with the same condition, a study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology has found.

Scientists from the University of Queensland analysed data from more than 26 studies. To read more, click here.