Asymmetric changes in circulating insulin levels after an increase compared with a reduction in insulin pump basal rate in people with Type 1 diabetes

Adapting Protocols or Models for Use in Insulin-Requiring Diabetes and Islet Transplant Recipients

The authors' perspective is described regarding modifications made in their clinic to glucose challenge protocols and mathematical models in order to estimate insulin secretion, insulin sensitivity and glucose effectiveness in patients living with Insulin-Requiring Diabetes and patients who received Pancreatic Islet Transplants to treat Type I diabetes (T1D) with Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycemia. The evolutions are described of protocols and models for use in T1D, and Insulin-Requiring Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) that were the basis for studies in the Islet Recipients. In each group, the need for modifications, and how the protocols and models were adapted is discussed. How the ongoing application of the adaptations is clarifying the Islet pathophysiology in the Islet Transplant Recipients is outlined.

Insulin Management Strategies for Exercise in Diabetes

There is no question that regular exercise can be beneficial and lead to improvements in overall cardiovascular health. However, for patients with diabetes, exercise can also lead to challenges in maintaining blood glucose balance, particularly if patients are prescribed insulin or certain oral hypoglycemic agents. Hypoglycemia is the most common adverse event associated with exercise and insulin therapy, and the fear of hypoglycemia is also the greatest barrier to exercise for many patients. With the appropriate insulin dose adjustments and, in some cases, carbohydrate supplementation, blood glucose levels can be better managed during exercise and in recovery. In general, insulin strategies that help facilitate weight loss with regular exercise and recommendations around exercise adjustments to prevent hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are often not discussed with patients because the recommendations can be complex and may differ from one individual to the next. This is a review of the current published literature on insulin dose adjustments and starting-point strategies for patients with diabetes in preparation for safe exercise.