Submitted by Jason Navallil
(March 25, 2025) — Are you one of the ten million people in the United States who suffer from diabetes? Diabetes affects nearly one-tenth of the world’s population and those numbers are only growing at a staggering rate. As the numbers continue to rise, so do new technological breakthroughs making managing your diabetes less and less difficult. Long gone are the days of having to nervously stab your finger for a singular droplet of blood. Constantly injecting yourself with insulin throughout the day is a thing of the past for most. Follow along as we learn some of the most up-to-date advancements in diabetes management.
One of those ground-breaking innovations in diabetic care is the invention and availability of Continuous Glucose Monitors. These simple and easy-to-use devices have greatly advanced a patient’s ability to monitor their blood sugars at any point in time. A seamless sensor is applied to the arm, with a microfiber that constantly reads blood glucose levels. These devices can send values and readings directly to either “the reader” that the patient supplies, either their own or a loved one’s smartphone. This is crucial to diabetics because it shows the patient all of the trends, the rises and falls, of their sugar throughout the day, in real time; before a walk, during a meal, or after a well-deserved nap. It helps patients understand their glucose levels in a way they never could before using the old-school method of test strips.
Another recent innovation to shake up the diabetic world is the discovery of GLP-1 agonists. These drugs are becoming more and more popular, mainly for the beneficial side effect of weight loss. Drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Zepbound all fall into this drug class and are becoming a popular drug among media outlets and celebrities alike.
In relation to weight-loss, GLP-1 is a naturally-occurring hormone that is activated after one has eaten and sends signals to the brain of a feeling of satiety (full, no longer hungry). This synthetic analog results in the patient’s not eating nearly as much food, as well as eating less often which, of course, leads to significant weight loss. These drug molecules are manufactured in a way that makes them work over several days, versus the naturally- occurring hormone that acts over a few hours; hence the reason these medications are so effective at weight loss versus the natural pathway of eating and producing endogenous GLP-1. In a similar mechanism of action, when GLP-1 is released from the body, the pancreas is directed to increase insulin production which, in turn, will decrease the available glucose in the bloodstream. This will decrease overall blood glucose levels as well as produce a significant reduction in one’s A1C level.
As we continue to advance technologies and use these tools to manage diabetes, we will continue to get more efficient and effective in treating this disease for those who need it. Staying up-to-date on the newest information only continues to advance and improve these life-saving innovations.
Jason Navallil is the Diabetes Educator/Program Coordinator at Nutmeg Pharmacy in Higganum, which offers classes for new and old diabetics alike. He can be reached at 860-345-3607.
Image from Buravleva stock/Shutterstock.com
