July 7, 2020

New diabetes digital tools and care technologies are being developed to address the complexity of care in a more holistic way to make more seamless and remote chronic disease management possible.
Internet-supported diabetes data management services like the FreeStyle Libre and AccuCheck MySugar App and other downloadable glucose data programs will undoubtedly become preferred management tools. With these tools, healthcare providers can access data and work with you to make treatment decisions in a timely fashion, and improve the outcomes of diabetes care.
Virtual Care – Covid 19 has prompted some changes in the way that you interact with your primary care doctor and diabetes team. Phone calls and virtual visits on line are becoming more and more prevalent. Connecting Ontario is a secure web based portal that allows you to video conference with your provider from the comfort of your home, All you need is a email address and a computer with a camera or smart phone! To find out more about Connecting Ontario click on this link https://www.ehealthontario.on.ca/en/ehrs-explained

West Toronto Diabetes Education Program also is planning on taking group programming on line by offering on line cooking classes and exercise groups, stay tuned for further information regarding these on line sessions.

Medications/Insulin

Fiasp is relatively new, faster acting mealtime insulin, developed by Novo Nordisk with the objective of achieving a faster initial absorption. You may forget to take your insulin before starting to eat, but instead of skipping dose you can take Fiasp within 20 mins.

New medications such as Ozempic have the added benefit of improving blood sugar control and potential for weight loss. There is a new oral version of Ozempic that is available, for those who don’t like to inject.

Some novel medications and insulin delivery systems currently being researched include the following:
• metformin-laced chewing gum
• sprayable and inhalable
• an insulin patch.

– Gvoke HypoPen ready to use stable liquid glucagon emergency pen, like an EpiPen for treating hypoglycemia.
Just in the past decade, scientists have realized the big role that the microbes living inside and on us play in our health. The human microbiome, and especially the gut microbiome, has been linked to multiple chronic diseases, including diabetes.

An unbalanced microbiome composition has been found in patients with diabetes, who tend to have a less diverse gut microbiome as compared to people without diabetes. Researchers from the University of Amsterdam recently showed that fecal transplants, used to transfer the microbiome of a healthy person to the gut of one with diabetes, can result in a short-term improvement of insulin resistance in obese patients with type 2 diabetes.
Recently CBS 60 Mins did a segment on probiotics and healthy gut microbes. Although promising, the microbiome field is very young, and there still needs to be a lot more research that needs to be done.

Here is a link to that 60 Mins piece https://www.cbsnews.com/news/probiotics-good-bacteria-60-minutes-2020-06-28/

References
https://www.labiotech.eu/in-depth/diabetes-treatment-cure-review/
https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/111609p34.shtml
https://www.healthline.com/diabetesmine/diabetes-tech-spectations-2020#Also-coming,-a-bit-later