Diabetes

New surge in misleading ads about diabetes on social media poses a serious health risk

Conditions
August 16, 2025

A recent surge in misleading ads and AI-generated videos on social media and other online sites promoting bogus diabetes products, treatments and cures – often using fake endorsements, including from my organization Diabetes Canada – poses a serious health risk to people living with diabetes.

So far this year, Diabetes Canada has heard from at least 300 people who saw or bought fake products like smart watches claiming to non-invasively …

Read more…

How Ukrainian doctors kept diabetes care alive during the war

Physician
July 12, 2025

When the full-scale war broke out in Ukraine, the country’s health care system was suddenly thrown into chaos. Hospitals were destroyed or severely damaged by missile attacks. Medical professionals were forced to flee, relocating to relatively safer areas in the western regions of the country. Millions of civilians became internally displaced. Amid this disruption, doctors in western Ukraine found themselves facing unprecedented challenges, trying to reorganize services and adapt rapidly …

Read more…

A spoonful of vinegar: Why simple glucose hacks deserve more medical attention

Conditions
June 10, 2025

In the age of glucose monitors, blood sugar charts, and wearable tech, one of the most effective strategies for stabilizing post-meal glucose levels might already be sitting in your kitchen cabinet: vinegar.

As someone with a strong interest in endocrinology and women’s’ metabolic health, I’ve found myself increasingly drawn to the work of educators like Jessie Inchauspé (popularly known as Glucose Goddess), who break down blood sugar science in ways that …

Read more…

Reimagining Type 2 diabetes care with nutrition for remission [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 1, 2025
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Endocrinologist William Hsu discusses his article, “Reimagining diabetes care with nutrition, not prescriptions.” William argues for a paradigm shift in treating Type 2 diabetes, moving away from a primary reliance on medications …

Read more…

Diabetes and Alzheimer’s: What your blood sugar might be doing to your brain

Conditions
May 20, 2025

There’s an ever-growing body of evidence to suggest that diabetes contributes to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Some even go so far as to dub Alzheimer’s disease “diabetes type III.”

How might diabetes cause Alzheimer’s disease?

It’s the sugar: Chronic high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) can damage blood vessels, including those in the brain. This vascular damage reduces oxygen and nutrient delivery to brain cells, increasing …

Read more…

Reimagining diabetes care with nutrition, not prescriptions

Conditions
May 13, 2025

In 2025, more than 38 million, or 1 in 10 Americans, live with Type 2 diabetes.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of the modern health care system, traditional care strategies for Type 2 diabetes often vastly overlook long-term individual and societal health outcomes in favor of short-term management of the disease. With over 20 years of experience as an endocrinologist at Harvard’s Joslin Diabetes Center, and as the Chief Medical Officer …

Read more…

The stigma surrounding diabetes harms those living with the condition. It’s time to finally stamp it out.

Conditions
April 30, 2025

Canadians have rallied together like never before to support each other and stand up for Canada in the face of U.S. tariffs and annexation threats.

People living with diabetes need that same spirit of solidarity around them to defeat a persistent stigma about the condition that leaves them feeling blamed, shamed, and judged.

Negative perceptions about people with diabetes are not only misplaced, but they are also harmful …

Read more…

Improving type 1 diabetes screening awareness among women [PODCAST]

Podcast
March 10, 2025
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Board-certified pediatric endocrinologist, field medical director for type 1 diabetes immunology (T1D) at Sanofi, and T1D survivor Shara Bialo discusses the article, “Improving type 1 diabetes screening awareness among women is critical. …

Read more…

Improving type 1 diabetes screening awareness among women is critical. Here’s why.

Conditions
January 31, 2025

As a board-certified pediatric endocrinologist, the field medical director for type 1 diabetes immunology (T1D) at Sanofi, and someone who was diagnosed with T1D as a child, it’s fair to say that much of my life has revolved around the disease.

I could recite the risk factors for T1D in my sleep; I’ve seen first-hand the perils of an unexpected T1D diagnosis—including diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA); I’m keenly aware that those with …

Read more…

How the Olympic spirit can transform diabetes care [PODCAST]

Podcast
December 14, 2024
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Join us as we sit down with Gary Marc Rothenberg, a podiatrist, to explore the unique connections between Olympic-level perseverance and the day-to-day challenges of chronic disease management, specifically diabetes. We discuss how …

Read more…

Living with type 1 diabetes: my journey through misconceptions, stigma and resilience

Conditions
October 28, 2024

I was only a child when my life took a sharp turn. At around five or six years old, I started noticing odd changes in my body that I didn’t understand. The day I landed in the hospital was the day the word “diabetes” entered my life, even though I didn’t know what it meant.

I overheard my father telling my mother about my diagnosis, but all I could follow was …

Read more…

Celebrating silver: 3 best practices for meeting people where they are with diabetes adherence

Policy
September 29, 2024

During the Olympics and Paralympics, all eyes turn to the best of the best: incredible athletes who have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of greatness in hopes of earning one of the most sought-after titles in the world.

“Gold medalist” has a glorious ring to it, and the athletes who earn this honor have every right to be proud. But the mantra of the Olympic movement isn’t “get gold or …

Read more…

Why we need to stop blaming people for their diabetes

Conditions
August 27, 2024

“You brought this on yourself with poor eating habits and bad lifestyle choices.”

If you or someone you know has diabetes, you have likely heard this harmful misconception or even thought it yourself.

While the federal government’s proposed pharmacare legislation has spotlighted diabetes—with diabetes medications to be among the first prescriptions included in a new national pharmacare plan—erroneous assumptions and negative judgments about the condition persist.

It is time that we erased the …

Read more…

ADVERTISEMENT

How weight loss drugs are creating a medical dilemma

Meds
July 22, 2024

On my outpatient clinical rotations last year, I saw ample management of heart disease and smoking cessation counseling. I also saw the annual physicals and checkups. But what surprised me was how many patients were on medications that were just now becoming more mainstream. I’m sure you’ve heard of one in particular—Ozempic. But it wasn’t just Ozempic. There was also Wegovy and Mounjaro. These medications, in the family of semaglutides, …

Read more…

Overcoming diabetes and chasing dreams [PODCAST]

Podcast
July 12, 2024
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Join us as we sit down with writer Robin D’Amato to discuss her book, Sugar-Free. Robin delves into the inspiring journey of Ginny Eastman, a girl whose passion for basketball begins at six …

Read more…

To anesthetize, or not to anesthetize: a pervasive dilemma of the GLP-1 era

Meds
July 9, 2024

Since the United States Food and Drug Administration approved exenatide in 2005, it took decades for the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) to identify and address perioperative safety concerns, if any, among patients using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) such as exenatide. This delay could be due to several factors: GLP-1 RAs were initially used only for managing diabetes and later for obesity, and now potentially for a wide …

Read more…

GLP-1 medications for teens: Balancing weight loss and metabolic health [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 19, 2024
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

We’re joined by Karla Lester, a pediatrician and certified life and weight coach. Together, we explore the journey of Lizzie and her mother, Jackie, as they navigate the complexities of health, weight, and …

Read more…

A lesson in generosity: How one woman helped a stranger afford insulin

Conditions
June 14, 2024

I waited in line at the pharmacy, a familiar chain store. The man in front of me waited patiently for the technician to ring up his meds. I overheard her say to him, “$125.00. That includes your insulin.”

The man bowed his head and smiled politely, showing many missing teeth. He was dressed modestly. I did not know his name. I did not know him. I had never met him before. …

Read more…

A story of liver cancer and diabetes [PODCAST]

Podcast
June 13, 2024
YouTube video

Subscribe to The Podcast by KevinMD. Watch on YouTube. Catch up on old episodes!

Join us for a discussion on the critical intersection of diabetes and liver disease. Our guest, Sarah Bauer, a pediatrician, shares her personal journey and insights into the recent screening guidelines released by …

Read more…

It is time to change the conversation and eliminate the stigma attached to diabetes

Conditions
June 5, 2024

The Canadian federal government’s decision to cover diabetes medication and devices under its new pharmacare plan is a significant step forward in improving the quality of life for the millions of Canadians with diabetes, especially those who struggle to afford treatments.

However, access to medication and devices is not the only factor affecting the well-being of those living with diabetes. That title may be reserved for something we don’t …

Read more…

4
pages