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Greetings!
Hello and welcome to the March edition of Yada Yada! In this issue, we look at important updates to the standards about driving with type 1, bring you some news about potentially significant research into beta cell function, and fill you in on some things T1DN has been doing to represent the type 1 community.
Enjoy!
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Readership survey
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 A big thank you to everyone who responded to the survey of Yada readers we ran in January and February.
We were really pleased by the positive response. It's great to know you are enjoying and getting value from Yada. There were lots of ideas for how we can improve and different issues we can address. We'll be taking your feedback on board and using it to keep producing an excellent newsletter!
The word image is a Wordle of your feedback responses. Wordles are word clouds that give greater prominence to more frequently used words. We thought you might enjoy seeing a rough snapshot of everyone's comments :-).
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*****************Sponsored Announcement*****************
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For more information go to www.accu-chek.com.au/au/ready-to-pump.html
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Recreational drugs and type 1
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| Back in February 2009, we promoted an Australian survey looking at recreational drug use in young people with type 1 diabetes. More than 500 people responded; perhaps some of you participated? The study has now been published in the Internal Medicine Journal.
More than three-quarters of respondents admitted to having used recreational drugs, with nearly half using in the past 12 months. Only 7% had told a health professional about their drug use.
Drug use was found to be linked to poor sugar control (defined as HbA1c above 9%, which was three times as common in drug users) and increased risk of ketoacidosis. However, this may be due to other lifestyle factors and not drug use itself.
Insulin needs varied on an individual basis, so no advice was given about how to manage diabetes during drug use. There has been little research into this area, but you can have a look at one person's experience with drugs and T1D on our website and you can always share your own experiences on the Reality Check forum.
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******************Sponsored Announcement******************
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 For more information go to www.abbottdiabetescare.com.au
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Diabetes and driving
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Photo by Ian Britton
www.freefoto.com
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Driving with diabetes is a common topic on our
Reality Check forums. In Australia, people with type 1 diabetes require an assessment and a signed letter from their doctor to get a licence, which is then reviewed every two years.
The standards that doctors use when doing this assessment were recently updated. The new Assessing fitness to drive publication from Austroads focuses on hypo unawareness and severe hypos (defined as hypos you needed assistance to treat) as the key risks of driving with diabetes. The other important changes to the standards in regards to getting a doctor's assessment are:
- 'Satisfactory control' of diabetes is defined as an HbA1c of less than 9% in the last 3 months.
- Blood glucose measurements from the past several months should be reviewed.
- People with diabetes must "be following a treatment regimen that minimises the risk of hypoglycaemia".
There is also advice to drivers, which is mainly drawn from the Above 5 to drive booklet produced last year by NDSS and Diabetes Australia. If you have any queries about the assessment or driving with diabetes, talk to your health professional.
While these standards are nationwide, individual states may implement them differently, so please check with your state transport authority if you are unsure of any conditions you need to meet to qualify for a licence.
The full publication is available on the Austroads website.
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Representing the type 1 community
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We recently sent a representative to a workshop in Sydney run by the Consumers Health Forum (CHF) on the Quality Use of Medicines (QUM) and the Personally Controlled Electronic Health Record (PCEHR).
A number of other consumer groups attended; however, we were the only group representing the voice of people with type 1 diabetes.
The PCEHR will be a secure, electronic record that brings together key elements of consumers' health information. Information in the PCEHR system will be accessible by the consumer and authorised healthcare providers. This information will allow healthcare providers to make better, more efficient decisions about medicines, treatment and other aspects of healthcare.
The workshop addressed a range of issues around the PCEHR with a focus on implementation, consumer registration and participation. Did you know that all Australians will have access to the PCEHR from 1 July 2012?
The final report from the workshop should be released soon, so we will keep you updated on this important initiative and how all of us with type 1 can benefit from this. |
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People with type 1 may retain beta cell function
| A study from the Massachusetts General Hospital has shown that insulin production declines more slowly than once thought and, in some people, may not completely cease even decades after initial diagnosis.
The researchers used a newly developed ultrasensitive assay. They found low levels of a marker of insulin production called C-peptide in 10% of people who had been diagnosed 31-40 years ago (and 39% of people diagnosed 11-30 years ago). C-peptide levels declined gradually over a period of years, not just months. These markers also responded to high sugar levels, showing that insulin is still produced in some people who were diagnosed many years ago!
This is exciting news as it means that potential treatments that preserve beta cell function (like those we've mentioned in previous Yadas) may be useful for a much wider section of the T1 community than previously thought. It is also interesting as previous studies have linked the presence of any C-peptide to fewer long-term complications.
The abstract and full text of the source journal article are available from Diabetes Care. |
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*****************Sponsored Announcement*****************
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For more information go to www.accu-chek.com.au
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Events and meets
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Murray to Moyne cycle relay
Hypoactive is fielding a team in the Murray to Moyne cycle relay for the 10th year in a row. On March 31st the team of 15 will ride a 520 km relay in 24 hours. They are riding to support camps for children and young people with type 1 diabetes. You can find out more about their efforts on the HypoActive Murray to Moyne webpage.
Type 1 Diabetes Capricorn Connection (T1DCC)
The T1DCC is having their next group get-together in Yeppoon on Saturday 14 April 2012.
Two guest speakers will talk about the benefits and challenges of exercise with type 1 diabetes. It's also a great chance to meet-up with other adults with type 1 in the Capricorn area.
For more information on the get-together, check out the thread on our Reality Check forums.
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Quick shots
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Hot topics on the Reality Check online forum include:
On Munted Pancreas, Parents of Kids with D are discussing:
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Thanks for reading, and don't forget you can always send us your feedback and comments by replying to this email. See you next time!
From everyone at The Type 1 Diabetes Network |
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