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T1Ds get CGM on NHS

NHS England patients with Type 1 diabetes will now be eligible for lifechanging

continuous glucose monitors after the health service secured

a new cut-price deal. These wearable arm gadgets send information to a

mobile app and allow diabetes patients to keep track of their glucose levels

at all times without having to scan or take a finger prick test.

Traditionally, continuous glucose monitors (CGM) are more expensive

than flash monitors (Abbott's FreeStyle Libre), but the new deal between

the NHS and Dexcom ensures that its Dexcom ONE will now be available

for NHS patients on prescription at a similar price. This wider rollout of the

technology will help people with diabetes manage the condition better and

ease pressure on the NHS.

GPs to

prescribe

exercise

Learning to ride a bike or getting out

for a walk could soon be just what

the doctor ordered under new health

plans noted by an article in Metro in

August 2022.

Some GPs will start prescribing

'back to basics' treatments as part

of a trial to see how big a difference

small lifestyle changes can make

to mental and physical complaints,

with adult cycle training, walking

groups and free bike loans all being

backed by the government in a new

£12.7m scheme. The pilot programme

will run in 11 areas until 2025, with

participating local authorities also

being told to improve infrastructure

alongside the trials so that

participants feel safe undertaking

physical activities.

Olympic gold medallist and

former cycling world champion Chris

Boardman, who is commissioner

of the new National Active Travel

agency, said: "As a nation we need

healthier, cheaper and more pleasant

ways to get around for everyday

trips. Moving more will lead to a

healthier nation, a reduced burden

on the NHS, less cancer, heart

disease and diabetes, as well as huge

cost savings."

Sweeteners can raise

blood glucose

While zero-calorie sweeteners bring a little sweetness to our lives without

prompting significant or obvious blood sugar spikes and are said to pass

through the body without significant interaction with one's metabolism.,

some studies have previously found that artificial sweeteners are

associated with unfortunate metabolic outcomes like weight gain and poor

glycaemic control.

A new and high-quality study of four common sugar alternatives

(aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, and stevia) has directly tested the

effects of these on human beings. Two of the sweeteners - saccharin and

sucralose - were found to lead to blood glucose spikes, while all four were

associated with significant changes in gut microbiome profiles, directly

contradicting the idea that non-nutritive sweeteners are 'inert/ and pass

through the body without interacting.

However, Senior author Dr. Eran Elinav, an immunologist and

microbiome researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science and

the German National Cancer Center (DKFZ), has emphasised that

the glycaemic changes identified in the study occurred in "a highly

personalised manner" since different volunteers had different responses,

so it is impossible to predict exactly how any one of us might react to the

same ingredients. However, Dr Elinay stressed that, despite the results of

his study, sugar "is clearly most harmful to our metabolic health."

Metformin's side effects

Metformin is the first drug prescribed

to most new patients with Type 2

diabetes and is increasingly popular

for use with patients with Type 1

diabetes. It is inexpensive, available

as a generic and is one of the world's