Diabetes Pro Quarterly - Fall 2017 - 15

1996

MISSION NEWS

American Diabetes Association Campers Benefit From
New Technologies

Then, Now, Next: 70 Years
of Diabetes Forecast

The primary goal of the American Diabetes Association's camp program is to foster
opportunities for children with type 1 diabetes to develop basic self-management skills.
Campers learn from onsite medical volunteers how to check blood glucose, count carbohydrates, independently administer insulin, and develop a better understanding of their
disease. Diabetes education needs to evolve as new drugs and devices become available,
changing the dialogue and teaching opportunities around effective management. The
Association has begun incorporating new diabetes management technologies into the
camp environment, including introducing campers to the use of continuous glucose
monitoring (CGM) systems.

Since its inception in January 1948, Diabetes
Forecast magazine, published by the American
Diabetes Association, has been a trusted
source of support for people living with
diabetes. Hundreds of clinicians, researchers, volunteers, and staff members through
the years have helped to create high-quality,
inspiring, and educational content. As we look
forward to new advancements and improvements in health outcomes, Diabetes Forecast
wants to capture this history to inform the
future. Please share your story about diabetes
care then and now-and your predictions for
what's on the horizon for people with diabetes.
Send an email message to forecasteditor@
diabetes.org to be considered for an interview or brief submission for our anniversary
celebration in 2018. Thank you for choosing to
make a difference in diabetes!

CGM has the potential to lower the risk of severe hypoglycemic reactions and the incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis. The Association's CGM recommendations state that this
type of monitoring is helpful for patients with type 1 diabetes and those with frequent
hypoglycemia or hypoglycemia unawareness because it reduces glycemic excursions
and can lower A1C in children and teens. In keeping with this recommendation, the
Association has incorporated CGM use into camp curriculums nationwide. Today,
more than 4,000 campers (70%) are using CGM systems to understand how their
blood glucose responds to active and varied environments.
"CGM helps children, teens, and medical professionals view trending glucose data in
real time," said Carla Cox, PhD, RD, CDE, FAADE, of the Providence Endocrinology,
Diabetes and Nutrition Center in Missoula, MT, who has been a long-time medial volunteer for the Association's camp program. "When I take a group of campers with type
1 diabetes backpacking and someone is using a CGM, I can keep track of their levels,
be proactive, and prevent significant hypoglycemia. It saves a lot of finger poking and
is a tool to prevent wide glucose excursions." Funding and support from the following
companies and foundations help the Association obtain the resources needed to successfully incorporate new diabetes management technologies into the camp environment:
Walgreens, Lilly Diabetes, Helmsley Charitable Trust, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi, Medtronic,
2010
2012
Insulet, Animas, LifeScan, and
Becton Dickinson Sensors.
The Affordable Care Act is
The New England Journal of

1999

he first Safe at School
aw passes in Virginia,
with Association backing.

1999

A flood of new diabetes
medicines comes out
round the turn of the
entury, including type 2 drug
osiglitazone (Avandia) in
999, and long-acting insulin
largine (Lantus) in 2000.

signed into law, significantly
improving access to health

Medicine publishes a study
showing that people with

These technologies have the potential
to normalize
blood glucose levels
andcankeep
insurance coverage
for
type 2 diabetes
go into camppeople with diabetes.
remission after bariatric
surgery. Although
doctors
ers safer. Physicians and medical volunteers with specialized knowledge
of diabetes
techhave been performing
these
weight-losswith
surgeries
nologies help to deliver the experienced coaching children need to
succeed
CGM.
since the 1950s, until now the
2005
procedure has been used only
If you are a health care professional
interested in offering your expertise
or volunteering
as a treatment for obesity.
The FDA approves exenatide, the
first drug in a new class of injectables
at camp, please visit diabetes.org/campvolunteer.
for type 2 diabetes. It's derived from

ollowing advocacy efforts by the
American Diabetes Association, the
ederal Aviation Administration lifts
s ban on licensing pilots who use
nsulin and begins allowing people
with diabetes to obtain recreational
nd private pilot licenses.

THEN. NOW. NEXT?

a compound in the venom of the
Gila monster.

Living With Diabetes: Ask the Experts Town Hall Series

2013

A
la
p
5
to

Pathway to Stop Diabetes recipient Zhen Gu, PhD, has
developed a "smart insulin" patch that rapidly releases
insulin when blood glucose levels are too high.

The founders from the early years

of the Association

Bern Harrison, Bayer HealthCare LLC

April 2, 1940

Fluorescence micrograph of insulin
patch, courtesy of Zhen Gu, PhD

Pathway to Stop Diabetes®
program invests in brilliant, Happy birthday, American Diabetes Association.
emerging diabetes researchers
Delegates attend a meeting of the Committee
with $1 million+ grants each.

for the Establishment of a National Diabetes
Association in Cleveland.

To address topics commonly faced by people living with type 2 diabetes, the American2014
study published in the New England
Diabetes Association has created Living with Diabetes: Ask the Experts Town Hall, a AJournal
1941
of Medicine
reports that the
The first
American Diabetes Association
incidence of diabetes
complications
free, online or phone-based, educational event series focused on diabetes management.dramatically improved
Annual
Meeting
Scientific Sessions)
from
1990 (now
to
held.
2010 as a result ofisresearch
advances
Launched in June and continuing through February 2018, the monthly series features and more effective care.
a streaming video followed by a 45-minute question-and-answer session during
2015which
technology
is on the move:
participants have the opportunity to ask questions of diabetes Health
experts.
Upcoming
Cloud-based sharing of continuous
glucose monitoring data on
themes include 2002
nutrition and
smartphones, a maker movement
The U.S. Diabetes Prevention
focused on do-it-yourself artificial
results reinforce
the
groceryProgram
shopping,
physical
pancreas systems, and Google
Finnish Diabetes Prevention
partnerships with Dexcom,
Study:
Adults management.
at risk for
activity, and
stress
the Joslin Diabetes Center, and
type 2 diabetes can lower
Sanofi are just a few examples.
their risk by losing weight,
Encourageeating
your
patients to learn
a healthy diet, and
being physically active.
diabetes.org
more and register
for individual
events at diabetes.org/experts or
to sign up for the whole series by
texting the word EXPERTS
to 828282.

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o

GlobalP/Thinkstock

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WHAT'S NEXT?
IT'S UP TO US.

DIABETESPRO QUARTERLY

http://www.diabetes.org/campvolunteer http://www.diabetes.org http://www.diabetes.org/experts

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Diabetes Pro Quarterly - Fall 2017