First, let’s explain what they are. Stem cells are like the “raw materials” for all cells in the body. Before maturity, they form human “specialized” cells (heart cells, skin cells, liver cells, etc.), and once mature, they mostly develop into blood cells (e.g., red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets).  Over the past few years, … Read more Could Stem Cells Potentially Cure Type 1 Diabetes?

The particular effects of their illness on their sexual health are not always well known or understood by people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Understandably, it’s not the easiest topic to discuss with your friends or healthcare team.   Respective impacts on women and men Living with T1D can have significant physical impacts on sexual … Read more Sexual Health and Type 1 Diabetes

The winter solstice is almost here, and so are cold temperatures and the official beginning of winter. Did you ever think that outdoor temperatures influence your blood sugar levels? If you did, you were right: extreme temperatures can destabilize your blood sugar. Generally, blood sugar levels are lower in the summer and higher in colder … Read more How Do Colder Temperatures Influence Blood Sugar Levels?

If you don’t live with type 1 diabetes (T1D), your pancreas’s beta cells produce insulin whenever your blood sugar level increases (usually after a meal). Before reaching your bloodstream and your body cells (e.g., muscle, fatty tissue), the insulin goes directly to your liver, which then stores excess glucose that will be gradually secreted back … Read more The Liver’s Role in Blood Sugar Management

People with type 1 diabetes (T1D) have an increased risk of experiencing certain long-term health problems when their blood sugar levels are imbalanced. Chronic hyperglycemia, for instance, can lead to damage to small blood vessels, including diabetic retinopathy, a condition affecting small blood vessels in the eyes. Diabetic retinopathy affects approximately 20% of Canadians with … Read more A Smartphone-Connected Device for Diagnosing Diabetic Retinopathy

People with a chronic illness such as type 1 diabetes (T1D) are recommended to carry some form of medical ID, generally a bracelet, a pendant or a card, which alerts people that they have T1D and, in some cases, provides an emergency contact number.  The reason for this recommendation is that if a person loses … Read more New Medical IDs

Too many people, including some healthcare professionals, misunderstand type 1 diabetes (T1D) and mistake it for type 2 diabetes (T2D). But these are different illnesses that have different causes and treatments.  Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, which means that it is caused when the immune system attacks healthy cells in the body for … Read more The Stigmatization of People With Type 1 Diabetes