Type 2 diabetes over time: What to expect as you age

From mcpress.mayoclinic.org

By Jessica R. Wilson, M.D.

Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions in the U.S. The way it affects each person, however, often varies substantially.

If you have type 2 diabetes, your age and the length of time since you were diagnosed are two major factors likely to influence your condition. Understanding these factors and anticipating changes can help you and your care team create a diabetes management plan that offers you ideal support now and for years to come.

How insulin production and insulin resistance change over time

When you eat food, your body breaks it down into a type of sugar called glucose. Glucose is fuel for your body’s cells. It enters your blood and gets into your cells with help from a naturally occurring hormone called insulin.

All forms of diabetes stem from an insulin issue. If you have type 2 diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin, can’t use insulin effectively or both. This causes glucose to build up in your blood. If your blood glucose level is too high, too often, it can cause issues throughout your body.

Your amount of insulin and its effectiveness tend to change over time. “It’s a supply and demand issue,” says Jessica R. Wilson, M.D., M.S., an endocrinologist and diabetes expert at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida.

When you’re first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, your pancreas — a vital organ in your abdomen — is typically able to produce insulin. However, the amount produced isn’t enough to match the demand. Type 2 diabetes also makes your cells less sensitive to insulin — a phenomenon known as insulin resistance. This means that more of the hormone is required to move sugar from your bloodstream into your cells.

Insulin resistance pushes the pancreas to produce more insulin. For some people, the pancreas is able to keep up with high demand. For others, it might not. Pancreas damage and age both can lower insulin production, says Dr. Wilson.

To address insulin supply and demand issues, people who have type 2 diabetes often take a medicine designed to lower their demand for insulin. If this isn’t enough to balance supply and demand or if their insulin production drops over time, extra insulin might be needed. This is known as insulin therapy.

Rarely will a person who has diabetes use the same treatment for a lifetime. Certain medicines may become less effective after a while. Switching to a different therapy could make it easier to manage blood glucose. Other factors such as diet and exercise might lower blood glucose and eliminate the need for one or more medicines.

The risk of type 2 diabetes complications can increase over time

Most people who have type 2 diabetes have an elevated risk of complications. Because blood flows throughout the entire body, the impacts of high blood glucose levels can affect many organs and structures. Common type 2 diabetes complications include issues in the heart, kidneys, nerves, eyes and feet.

Effective diabetes management can reduce these risks. Research shows that people with sustained high blood glucose have an elevated risk of developing a complication within the next 10 years. In comparison, people with blood glucose levels that are within the diabetic range, but are near the low end of that range, are less likely to develop a complication within the next 10 years.

Still, any level of sustained elevated blood glucose, including living with a blood glucose level in the prediabetes range, can increase the risk of complications. In addition, the risk of developing complications may be further elevated if you’re an older adult.

Regardless of your age or how long you’ve had diabetes, it’s important to monitor more than just your blood glucose. According to Dr. Wilson, you should start routine screenings for common complications immediately after you’ve been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. This testing helps your care team identify and address any issues early on.

Why early type 2 diabetes treatment matters

Starting a diabetes management plan immediately after you’re diagnosed can limit the amount of time your blood glucose is too high. Additionally, some research suggests that treating type 2 diabetes early and intensively can create a “legacy effect.” By quickly lowering your blood glucose level with lifestyle changes, medications or other methods, you may have a lower long-term risk of complications, even if your level rises in the future.

Some diabetes treatments are more effective for people with a recent diabetes diagnosis. Metformin is a common diabetes medicine that lowers blood glucose in part by improving insulin sensitivity in the body’s cells. Research suggests that beginning treatment with metformin in the early stages of diabetes — before insulin production may have declined substantially — can lower blood glucose more effectively than starting the medicine later on.

How age influences type 2 diabetes management

Several factors influence how diabetes may affect you. Ethnicity, sex, genetics and other traits all play a part in the condition and are worth considering when planning your diabetes management strategy.

Age is one of the most influential factors in diabetes management. As part of a management strategy, a 30-year-old who has diabetes might benefit from a combination of medicines designed to quickly lower blood glucose. A 70-year-old with diabetes might benefit especially from a plan that includes weight-bearing exercise, such as walking or strength training. These types of activity may simultaneously help with losing excess body weight and preserving bone density, which naturally declines with age.

To ensure that you’re following the best management plan for your diabetes, consult healthcare professionals you trust. Finding a capable care team that recognizes your distinct needs and helps you build a personalized plan is a critical first step toward improved wellness.

https://mcpress.mayoclinic.org/diabetes/type-2-diabetes-over-time-what-to-expect-as-you-age/

Opinion: I'm 20 and live with Type 1 diabetes. It requires diligence 24 hours a day

From ctinsider.com

By Kenneth Okeke

As somebody who lives with Type 1 diabetes at age 20, I make choices about my health throughout my daily life.

Most individuals think about breakfast. They don't constantly think about blood sugar levels, counting the carbs of meal and doses of insulin, and how much of the food they digest and the affect it will have. 

For me, these calculations are endless. They occur before I eat, before a workout, and at times in the middle of the night. For us people who live with Type 1 diabetes, preserving this condition isn’t something that occurs from time to time. This is an ongoing responsibility.

                                                                                                   Elena Chernykh/Getty Images

Type 1 diabetes is generally misinterpreted. Many people have it mixed up with Type 2 diabetes, but these two conditions are very distinct. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system places an attack on the healthy cells, which requires dependence on insulin. This chronic illness isn’t caused by diet nor is it from decisions you make in your lifestyle. Once you’re diagnosed, managing it becomes an enduring commitment.

Constantly keeping track of my blood sugar levels, calculating the amount of doses of insulin I inject in my body, and sustaining stability among food and physical activity are essential. Moreover, minor adjustments in routine can have an effect on blood glucose levels whether it’s positive or negative. An exercise, an overwhelming day, and missing even just one meal can cause immediate changes that need to be corrected as soon as possible before things worsen. In the state of Connecticut, states and colleges generally offer support for students with Type 1 diabetes. But not every campus has trained staff, so managing these irregular changes can be a constant trial.

While other students focus on academics, or spots and social activities, individuals with Type 1 diabetes need to be vigilant of what is occurring in their bodies. Technology such as continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps have enhanced the management of diabetes, but they don’t eliminate the need for constant attention. Even in Connecticut, where access to medical equipment is typically efficient, the cost and intricacy of these devices can be challenging for some young adults to manage independently.

There’s also a psychological aspect to preserving a chronic condition that goes over people’s heads. Living with Type 1 diabetes also means being one step ahead, preparing for possible conflicts that can occur. It requires serious discipline and knowledge. 

A stronger public awareness can make a huge difference. When people know what Type 1 diabetes actually is, it’s beneficial for lowering the misperceptions and strengthens support for people who live with it. When it comes to Connecticut communities, empathy and guidance differ greatly. As some schools and local programs offer assets, many families still function within a system that doesn’t regularly acknowledge the full essentials for preserving Type 1 diabetes every day. Institutions, companies and communities all profit from a broader understanding of chronic health conditions and the realities people go through while managing this disease.

In Connecticut and nationwide, thousands of people have to live with Type 1 diabetes. Their experiences usually don’t get acknowledged because preserving the condition becomes part of a schedule that occurs silently in their daily life. Behind the scenes of performing these actions is persistence and constant monitoring of blood sugar levels.

Being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes has taught me perseverance and consistency. It has shown me how significant it is for people to have knowledge of conditions they have not experienced firsthand. Broader awareness doesn’t only notify the public, it creates a more nurturing environment for individuals who live with these barriers every day.

Many people perceive health as something they only think about when complications occur within the human body. I believe it’s important that we evaluate Type 1 diabetes in our everyday life as a way for Connecticut to come together as a community. 

Kenneth Okeke was born and raised in East Hartford. He is a junior at Trinity College in Hartford majoring in Public Policy & Law.  

https://www.ctinsider.com/opinion/article/connecticut-diabetes-health-insulin-22154421.php 

Diabetes UK: "We welcome the junk food advertising ban across the UK"

From diabetes.org.uk

We welcome the introduction of UK-wide restrictions on junk food advertising, a key step towards tackling childhood obesity and reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.

We have long campaigned for legislation to stop children and young people from being bombarded by unhealthy food adverts, so we welcome the introduction of restrictions on junk food advertising, which came into force on Monday 5th January 2026 across the UK as part of efforts to tackle childhood obesity.

Under the new rules, food and drink products high in fat, salt and sugar can no longer be advertised on television before 9pm, or online at any time. 

The restrictions apply to foods and drinks of most concern for childhood obesity, such as sugary drinks, confectionery, and pizzas and ice creams, as well as foods that might not be perceived as being high in fat, salt, or sugar, such as sweetened yoghurts, some breakfast cereals and porridges, sweetened bread products, and main meals and sandwiches.

The products covered by the ban are determined by their levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar. 

Why this matters for diabetes and children’s health

Living with obesity and overweight is a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. NHS data shows that almost one in ten children in reception year are now living with obesity, and rates are highest among children living in the most deprived areas.

Linked to this, we are seeing a rise in type 2 diabetes in children and young people. This is particularly concerning because type 2 diabetes is more aggressive when it develops at a younger age, putting people at an increased risk of complications.

A step we have long called for

Together with other health bodies and charities as part of the Obesity Health Alliance, we have consistently called on the government to take stronger action to reduce children’s exposure to junk food advertising as part of a wider approach to creating healthier food environments.

In the past, we have raised concerns that delaying these restrictions risked impacting progress on childhood obesity and could lead to more children developing type 2 diabetes in the future. 

This news is a welcome step towards recognising that creating healthier food environments is essential to supporting healthier lives.

More action is still needed

While this is a positive move to protect children’s health, we are concerned about the broad exemptions for brand advertising, and the limited number of product categories and media channels in scope, and together with others are calling on the government to go further to improve public health, reverse rising obesity rates and reduce the risks of type 2 diabetes.

We want to see further action to improve our food environment, including a total ban on adverts for unhealthy food on television and on our streets and an industry levy to encourage businesses to make our food healthier.

Colette Marshall, Chief Executive at Diabetes UK, said: 

"With type 2 diabetes on the rise in young people, the need to improve children’s health in the UK has never been greater. Obesity is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, and the condition can lead to more severe consequences in young people, leaving them at risk of serious complications like kidney failure and heart disease.

"The long-awaited move to restrict junk food advertising, along with other measures such as mandatory healthy food sales reporting for businesses and the extension of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy, can help protect our children's health, creating a future where conditions like type 2 diabetes can be prevented in young people."

https://www.diabetes.org.uk/about-us/news-and-views/junk-food-advertising-ban-childrens-health?utm_campaign=4933866_Enewsletter%20-%20January%202026%20-%20General&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dot_digital&dm_i=79RZ,2XQZU,1PBE5R,871O9,1,0,0,0 

Catching prediabetes early can change your health story

From utphysicians.com

The statistics are alarming: one in three adults has prediabetes, and most don’t even know it. Even more concerning, recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that one in three adolescents ages 12-17 now has prediabetes.

“We love the word prediabetes, because we’re at that stage where we can prevent Type 2 diabetes,” said Cynthia Lew, RN, a certified diabetes care and education specialist at UT Physicians Multispecialty – Sienna. “I call it the check engine light in your car. Something’s going on, and if we don’t do something about it, your risk of getting diabetes can happen within five years.”

The American Diabetes Association first used the term “prediabetes” in 2001 to encourage preventive care and early intervention. Lew said changing the term in the health care industry from “borderline diabetes” to “prediabetes” gives it more of a serious-sounding condition. In the past, patients would give a sigh of relief: “Oh, I don’t have diabetes,” and no action was taken.

What is prediabetes?

Prediabetes means blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to diagnose Type 2 diabetes. Prediabetes is between 5.7% to 6.4% for haemoglobin A1c tests. Diabetes is diagnosed at 6.5% or higher. For fasting glucose, prediabetes falls between 100 to 125 mg/dL, while 126 or above indicates diabetes. This illustrates the importance of testing, because prediabetes is a silent condition.

“When you start getting symptoms, like being thirsty or going to the bathroom a lot, you’re probably in the Type 2 range,” Lew said.

An A1c blood test measures average blood sugar levels over the past three months. A result of 5.7% or higher is prediabetes. This knowledge is especially helpful for those with no symptoms

Who’s at risk?

Family history is one of the biggest risk factors for prediabetes. Other key factors include a history of gestational diabetes, physical inactivity, and poor diet. Providers now recommend testing for prediabetes beginning at age 45, or earlier for those with risk factors.

“Anyone with family history should get early testing,” Lew said. “We’re seeing a younger population affected, so we want to catch it sooner.”

In some school districts, nurses even check children for acanthosis nigricans, which is a darkening of the skin on the neck that can signal prediabetes. This early screening, similar to scoliosis, vision, and other school-based screenings, helps identify at-risk children before the condition progresses.

Taking action: The power of prevention

The good news? Prediabetes is reversible, and weight loss plays a big role. Lew said studies show that losing just 5% to 7% of your body weight, combined with 150 minutes of weekly exercise (30 minutes, five days a week), can delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes.

Lew stresses that no food is completely off-limits — just eat it in moderation. When she tells patients to stop eating something completely, it never works.

“Both the quantity and quality of your diet are important,” Lew said. “We’re eating more processed food that we can pop in the microwave, and that’s contributing to this population getting prediabetes.”

The key is making sustainable changes by eating a healthy, balanced diet. Rather than following trendy diets, Lew recommends working with providers to develop an individualized plan that fits your lifestyle, food preferences, and budget.

Staying active with movement or exercise for 150 minutes a week can contribute to a healthier lifestyle to delay or prevent Type 2 diabetes

Small steps, big impact

For patients who feel overwhelmed, Lew recommends starting with small, achievable goals. Focus on what you can do first.

“If you go out to eat six times a week, can we cut that in half? Can you reduce those sugary coffee drinks from three times a week to two?” Lew said.

Exercise doesn’t have to mean joining a gym, either.

“What do you like to do? Dancing? Cleaning your house? Anything that makes you move for 30 minutes counts,” Lew notes. One patient lost weight simply by cleaning her own house instead of paying someone else to do it.

New technology is also helping patients see the impact of their choices in real time. Continuous glucose monitors, available over-the-counter, track blood sugar levels throughout the day.

“When patients wear that device and see their blood sugar go from 100 down to 80 after walking, that motivates them,” Lew said. “They see something happening.”

A number of factors can put people at risk for prediabetes, including family history, poor diet, lack of activity, overweight, and age 45+.

Realistic expectations

Within three months of making lifestyle changes, most people can see improvements in their A1c levels. However, the real challenge is maintaining those changes long-term. Lew wants to see sustainability over time.

“Anyone can lose weight for three months, but I want to see the data within a year. Did you keep your A1c stable?” Lew said.

Even after reversing prediabetes, vigilance is necessary. Lew continued her metaphor: The check engine light is always on, and you’ve got to keep getting it checked. Your risk of getting back to the prediabetes range is there.

Supporting loved ones

Family members and caregivers can make a significant difference in supporting their loved ones with prediabetes. Lew offers several tips:

• Eat the same healthy meals versus creating separate “diabetic” menus. It’s hard for someone to eat healthy if you’re indulging in sugary-filled drinks, candy, cookies, and cakes in front of them.
• Exercise together.
• Avoid being the “food police.”

Most importantly, Lew said, understand that if one family member has diabetes or prediabetes, others may be at risk. too.

“Everyone knows someone with diabetes,” Lew said. “One in three is huge. We need to make people more aware of prediabetes, because you can prevent this disease. You have control to prevent it now, versus after the diagnosis when it becomes much harder to manage.”

https://www.utphysicians.com/catching-prediabetes-early-can-change-your-health-story/ 

How diabetes affects sleep patterns: here are five articles for World Diabetes Day

From frontiersin.org

Over 800 million people globally have a type of diabetes, with numbers steadily rising. November 14 marks World Diabetes Day. This year the theme is ‘diabetes across life stages.’ It highlights that diabetes can affect people at all ages, aims to improve prevention, and seeks to empower diabetics young and old alike. We’re highlighting five recently published articles on aging and diabetes.

Young people are more than twice as likely to have diabetes than 30 years ago

Risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D) are multifold, they may include behavioural, environmental, and social factors, but also genetics or epigenetics may play a role. Young people can be especially insulin resistant and make up a disadvantaged group who might have less access to high-quality healthcare, compared to adults with T2D.

In a new Frontiers in Endocrinology study, researchers in China set out to understand trends and burden of T2DM in younger people.

Their results showed that between 1990 and 2021 the global incidence of T2D in people aged 15 to 24 years old increased from 56 per 100,000 people to 123.9 per 100,000 people, which means the number of individuals changing in status from non-disease to disease has more than doubled. The sharpest increase of new cases was found in youth aged 15 to 19 years and was higher among males than females. In specific regions – North Africa and the Middle East – the increase in new cases was highest, which highlights the importance of developing targeted strategies and interventions to address T2D among youth, the researchers wrote.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1626225/full

Extreme heat or cold could lead to negative diabetes outcomes

Diabetes and a changing climate are two of the grand challenges of our time. More than 11% of the world’s population has diabetes, and case numbers are expected to rise over the coming decades. At the same time, the effects of climate change – extreme temperatures, wildfires, food security, water quality, and disease vector distribution to name a few – impact both human and planetary health.

Writing in Frontiers in Public Health, an international team of researchers has examined the impact that extreme heat or cold has on the risk of diabetes, disease-related emergencies, and mortality.

Compiling data from 13 previously published articles, they found that extreme temperatures significantly increase likeliness of adverse diabetes-related events, hospitalizations, emergency department visits, and risk of diabetes-related deaths. This may be due to the fact that people with diabetes are more prone to impaired thermoregulation and autonomic dysfunction. Excessive heat can cause dehydration, systemic inflammation, or impaired nervous system functioning, whereas extreme cold can lead to minimized physical activity and a sedentary lifestyle which can lead to obesity and insulin resistance.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1677522/full

Less common types of diabetes might disrupt sleep

There are many types of diabetes, and some are better known and studied than others. Most frequent and best studied is T2D, but we know of more forms of diabetes including type 1 (T1D); monogenic diabetes (MODY), which includes various inherited types and neonatal diabetes; drug-induced diabetes; and other disease-associated forms.

Now, researchers in the US and Ecuador reviewed the current state of knowledge on the relationship between sleep patterns and diabetes management in people with less common forms of diabetes, namely T1D and monogenic diabetes. They published the results in Frontiers in Endocrinology.

They found that – like people with T2D who are more likely to have shorter sleep duration, poorer sleep quality, and increased risk of sleep apnoea – T1D patients are more likely to sleep shorter and poorer. Both adults and children with T1D often don’t sleep the recommended number of hours for their age. MODY patients, too, sleep poorer, are more likely to suffer from insomnia and sleep apnoea. The mechanism and differences between different types of monogenic diabetes, however, aren’t fully known. In the future, paediatric and adult large-scale cohort studies should be carried out to improve understanding of sleep quality in less common forms of diabetes, the researchers said.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2025.1388995/full

This digital twin could help optimize diabetes treatment

While various treatments and medications for T2D are available, not all drugs and dosing approaches work the same for all patients. To prevent adverse disease outcomes, individual treatment plans are essential.

Now, writing in a recently published Frontiers in Pharmacology article, researchers in Germany developed a whole-body model that simulates how glimepiride, an antidiabetic medication, moves into, though, and out of the body.

The model uses data from 20 clinical studies, which means diverse patient populations, treatment plans, dosing regimens, and health conditions are included. It comprises key organs involved in glimepiride absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion, such as gut, liver, and kidneys. The digital twin doesn’t simply focus on one variable, instead it integrates multiple patient factors, including organ function, bodyweight, and genetics, at the same time. Being able to reflect complex clinical realities found in real patients, the twin can aid with the personalization of glimepiride therapy and support clinical decisions on initial dosing to ensure patient safety, the team wrote.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2025.1686415/full

Diabetes might make keeping balance harder

Keeping balance is essential in daily life, and we do it countless times without thinking about it. Aging and aging related conditions, including T2D, may limit balance control.

In a recent Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience article, researchers in the US examined the effects of T2D on the small, unconscious, movements the body makes to keep balance, known as postural sway, among older adults. The sample was made up of 24 non-diabetic older adults and 20 older adults with T2D, with participants in both groups older than 65 years. They carried out a single task (quiet standing) and a dual task (standing and visual search).

The results showed that the T2D group showed signs of reduced postural stability during both tasks, compared to the non-diabetic group. Less postural control and greater disruption thereof among T2D patients could increase risk of falls, but longitudinal studies are necessary to track changes in postural control over time to better understand their relationship to fall risk in older adults with T2D, the team wrote.

Article link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/aging-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2025.1650484/full

https://www.frontiersin.org/news/2025/11/07/diabetes-sleep-aging-world-diabetes-day 

Increasing Numbers of US Adults Don’t Know They Have Diabetes, High Blood Pressure or High Cholesterol, Study Shows

From bidmc.org

BOSTON – In a new report published in JAMA Cardiology, health policy experts at Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) showed that many US adults are unaware they have high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol—three major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and death. Moreover, the investigators showed the proportions of Americans who do not know they have hypertension have increased over the past decade, especially among younger adults and women.

“Young adults were the most likely to not realize that they had high blood pressure, diabetes, or high cholesterol,” said Rishi Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, associate director of the Smith Center, and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School. “It’s especially concerning that one in three young adults were unaware of their high blood pressure, two in five didn’t know they had diabetes, and one in four were unaware of having high cholesterol. That’s a major public health issue.”

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, now responsible for roughly one in every three deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In the 1960s, cardiac mortality rates peaked at nearly 50 percent, but decades of medical and surgical innovations as well as public health campaigns regarding smoking, nutrition and exercise guidelines, drove a steep and steady decline. But today, cardiovascular mortality is on the rise again, with particularly sharp increases among younger adults and women under 55.

Wadhera and colleagues used data from a long-running, nationally representative survey to assess the proportion of adults unaware of their hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, or high cholesterol, and then compared how that proportion may have changed from 2013-24 to 2021-23. Known as NHANES, the CDC-run National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey combines interviews and physical examinations to assess the health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States to provide the critical data necessary to guide public health policy, track disease trends, and shape national health guidelines.

The team’s analysis included more than 15,000 adults, mostly middle-aged, who had at least one of the risk factors during physical examination and/or laboratory testing. Overall, the proportion of adults who were found to have hypertension—a chronic condition which is often symptomless — but were unaware of their condition increased significantly during the ten-year study period. The proportion of adults unaware they had diabetes and high cholesterol did not change.

However, when Wadhera and colleagues zoomed in on participants’ age groups, they saw that the increase in unawareness about hypertension was only among younger adults, ages 20 to 44. There was no change in awareness among adults older than 45. Similarly, when they broke out the data by sex, they saw that the proportion of women who were unaware they had hypertension rose over the ten-year study period—a change not observed among men.

“Awareness may have worsened in these populations due to barriers to accessing primary care and preventive services,” said Daniel Johnson, lead author of the study and research fellow at the Smith Center. “Young adults, in particular, may underestimate the future risk of cardiovascular disease and, in turn, underestimate the benefits of routine health screenings.”

“Given declining heart health in young adults, it’s critical that we intensify public health messaging to this group on the importance of screening for high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol,” said Wadhera. “We need to address gaps in awareness early in life to prevent the onset of cardiovascular disease, or worse, later in life.”

Lucas X Marinacci was co-author. This research was supported by the Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Foundation; the American Heart Association Established Investigator Award (24EIA1258487) and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (RO1HL164561).

Dr. Marinacci reported receiving a grant from the National Institutes of Health during the conduct of this study. Dr. Wadhera reported receiving grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute during the conduct of the study and personal fees from Chamber Cardio and Abbott Vascular outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

https://www.bidmc.org/about-bidmc/news/2025/06/us-adults-dont-know-they-have-diabetes-high-blood-pressure-or-high-cholesterol 

5 things to know about managing type 1 diabetes for emerging adults 18–25

From eu.lohud.com

Managing type 1 diabetes can be especially challenging during the transition from adolescence to adulthood, but the good news is that support is available 

Young adults with type 1 diabetes face many challenges as they transition from paediatric to adult care. Entering the adult world, with its independence and endless choices, makes this transition a very vulnerable time for these young people. Patients between the ages of 18 and 25, or “emerging adults,” are at a high risk for complications, including the highest risk of hospitalizations and mortality, but there are many ways to help during this transition.

A look into the challenges for emerging adults with type 1 diabetes

Competing priorities present the biggest challenge for emerging adults with type 1 diabetes. They may have just graduated from high school, entered the workforce or college, or both, and may be living on their own for the first time.

Diet, exercise, and sleep patterns may become less stable. And a new job, academic work, and social pressures can create higher levels of stress and anxiety. It can be hard to keep everything together, including managing type 1 diabetes. Many people with type 1 diabetes were diagnosed as children and have had the same diabetes doctor their entire lives. Pediatric care provides an approach in which families are involved and additional support is available from a psychologist and a social worker.

Adult type 1 diabetes care models give patients more freedom to choose when it comes to their care plan, and there may not be support services waiting in the wings. This abrupt switch from one approach to another — when so many other changes are taking place — can be overwhelming for emerging adults.

                                    Hill Street Studios, DigitalVision, Stock Photo. Posed by Model via Getty Images

Five important things to know

1. Diet: Food is a central issue for emerging adults with type 1 diabetes. With as many as 75 factors affecting blood sugar throughout the day, there are hundreds of decisions to make. They have to count the carbohydrates in everything they eat and drink and calculate the correct insulin dose. This process is much more difficult when eating away from home. Commercially prepared foods served in dining halls and restaurants are often very high in carbs, with portion sizes that are hard to gauge and a lack of nutritional information.

2. Alcohol: Alcohol can cause dangerously low blood sugar, especially in the middle of the night. College students with diabetes have died in these situations, so it’s critical for young adults legally able to choose to drink to make informed choices about consumption, insulin dose adjustments, and emergencies.

3. Emotional health: Emerging adults with type 1 diabetes experience higher rates of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. Sometimes these conditions can be directly related to diabetes and cause “diabetes distress” or “diabetes burnout.” When these conditions are not directly related to diabetes, they can make the already difficult task of managing the disease much harder.

4. Rest and exercise: A hectic lifestyle isn’t always conducive to stable sleep and exercise habits, so living a healthy lifestyle is important, since it affects blood sugars not only day to day but also in the long term.

5. Testing and treatment: Technological advances in blood-glucose monitoring and insulin delivery have transformed care for type 1 diabetes, automating some of the diabetes self-management tasks involved and even eliminating the need for finger sticks. The field is innovating rapidly, so it’s important to keep in touch with your endocrinologist for access to much needed information and prescriptions.

https://eu.lohud.com/story/sponsor-story/montefiore-health-system/2025/03/31/5-things-to-know-about-managing-type-1-diabetes-for-emerging-adults-1825/69692764007/

Is Your Child With Type 1 Diabetes Facing 'Diabetes Distress'?

From usnews.com

Children born with type 1 diabetes are much more likely to develop certain mental health issues than those without the condition, a new study warns.

Kids with type 1 diabetes are more than twice as likely to develop a mood disorder and 50% more likely to suffer from anxiety than other children, researchers reported June 17 in the journal Nature Mental Health.

They also are more than four times as likely to develop behavioural issues like eating or sleep disorders, researchers said.

However, the findings suggest this isn’t due to any specific health problem caused by type 1 diabetes.

Rather, children appear to be vulnerable to “diabetes distress” resulting from the ongoing management of their chronic condition, researchers said.

“This emphasizes the importance of prevention and sustained attention to the mental health needs of children and young people with type 1 diabetes,” said lead researcher Tomas Formanek, a doctoral student with the University of Cambridge in the U.K. and the National Institute of Mental Health, in Klecany, Czech Republic.

Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system turns on the pancreas, the organ that produces insulin. Damage to the pancreas destroys its ability to make insulin, or decreases production so much that people need to take insulin to live.

For the new study, researchers analysed data for more than 4,500 children with type 1 diabetes in the Czech Republic.

The mental health effects found among these kids might stem from their need to make significant changes to their lives, researchers said. They must constantly monitor their food intake, check their blood sugar levels and inject themselves with insulin.

This often leaves kids feeling excluded from social events and singled out by other kids, teachers and even family members, researchers said.

“We know that people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes can experience ‘diabetes distress,’” senior researcher Benjamin Perry, a clinical lecturer in psychiatry with the University of Cambridge, said in a university news release. “This can include extreme frustration with blood sugars and feelings of isolation and can lead to burnout, hopelessness and a feeling of lack of control. It’s little wonder, then, that they are at risk of compounding mental health problems, spanning into their adult lives.”

More information

The American Diabetes Association has more about type 1 diabetes.

https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2024-07-18/is-your-child-with-type-1-diabetes-facing-diabetes-distress