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Lifestyle
PubMed (Open Access Guidelines) · December 1, 2026
Researchers found that migrant women from lower-income countries living in wealthier countries have a higher chance of developing diabetes during pregnancy or type 2 diabetes overall. A collection of studies looked at programs designed specifically for these women — including nutrition guidance in their own language, culturally familiar food choices, and community-based physical activity — lasting anywhere from 6 weeks to 12 months. These tailored programs were linked to improvements in eating habits, physical activity levels, and blood sugar control (A1C) among the women who took part.
What's New
PubMed · December 1, 2026
A study found that people with type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure who lost weight through a dietary program — about 25 pounds on average over 12 months — were able to cut back on their high blood pressure medications, yet their blood pressure stayed just as well controlled as before. In fact, their heart rate and certain measures of blood pressure fluctuation during the night also improved. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 3, 2026
Researchers found that taking a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana does not appear to raise the risk of digestive system cancers — including cancers of the stomach, colon, pancreas, or liver — in people with type 2 diabetes, based on a large review of 48 studies involving nearly 49,000 patients. This is reassuring news, since some people and doctors have wondered whether these medications might be linked to cancer. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A study found that a diabetes medication like Januvia — a group of drugs that help manage blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes — was not clearly linked to a higher risk of heart failure overall when researchers pooled results from nearly 68,000 patients. However, when researchers looked at a specific drug in this group called saxagliptin (brand name Onglyza), they did find a notable connection to increased heart failure risk. This appears to be a safety update, adding to earlier warnings the FDA had already issued about certain medications in this group.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient's diabetes medicine could increase the risk of heart failure, especially if the patient is taking alogliptin or saxagliptin.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that using mild electrical pulses to make leg muscles contract — a technique called neuromuscular electrical stimulation, or NMES — may help keep blood sugar levels steadier in people with type 2 diabetes, especially after meals. This could be helpful for people who have a hard time doing regular exercise, since the device does the muscle work for them. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A clinical trial is examining whether eating all meals within an 8-hour window earlier in the day, getting bright light exposure during daytime hours, or combining both approaches might help improve blood sugar control (A1C) in people with type 2 diabetes who don't use insulin — the thinking being that working *with* the body's natural daily rhythms, rather than against them, could support better overall health. Researchers are testing these two approaches separately and together in 344 people over 16 weeks, tracking not just blood sugar level (A1C) but also sleep, heart health, and quality of life. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that taking zinc supplements may help improve blood sugar control and reduce insulin resistance — meaning the body may respond better to insulin — in people with diabetes or prediabetes. The analysis of 18 studies also found reductions in inflammation markers, which is the body's internal stress response that can worsen diabetes over time, though one finding showed a small rise in LDL ('bad') cholesterol whose real-world importance is still unclear. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether the patient should take zinc supplements to help with blood sugar control and reduce inflammation, since studies suggest zinc supplementation might improve these things in people with type 2 diabetes.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a new once-weekly insulin called efsitora caused low blood sugar episodes (called hypoglycemia, when blood sugar drops too low and can cause shakiness or dizziness) that lasted about the same amount of time as traditional once-daily insulins — roughly 35 to 42 minutes depending on how low the blood sugar dropped. The episodes also had similar characteristics and were just as manageable, suggesting that switching to a once-a-week insulin shot doesn't appear to make low blood sugar events longer or harder to handle compared to a daily shot. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that tirzepatide — a diabetes medication similar to Ozempic or Victoza — reduced fat buildup in the liver in people with type 2 diabetes, and this benefit held true regardless of whether patients carried a specific gene (called PNPLA3 I148M) that is known to raise the risk of liver fat problems. The study also showed improvements in weight, blood sugar level (A1C), cholesterol, and liver health markers across the board. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A study found that people with type 2 diabetes who also had an underactive thyroid (a condition called subclinical hypothyroidism, where the thyroid is slightly underperforming but not enough to cause obvious symptoms) may have had less protein leaking into their urine — a sign of kidney stress — when they took a thyroid hormone medication called levothyroxine, compared to those who didn't take it. Keeping protein out of the urine matters because high levels can be an early warning sign that the kidneys are being damaged. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that many people with type 2 diabetes don't seem to get the full blood-thinning benefit from aspirin — a condition sometimes called 'aspirin resistance' — but how often this happens varies wildly depending on how it's measured, ranging from almost nobody to more than half of patients studied. Some research suggested that taking aspirin twice a day, or using a regular (non-coated) aspirin instead of an enteric-coated version (the kind with a special coating meant to protect the stomach), may work better at keeping platelets — the tiny blood cells involved in clotting — from becoming overactive. This matters because people with type 2 diabetes already have a higher chance of serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, so understanding how well aspirin works for them is an important question — though this is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that in people with type 2 diabetes who were 80 years old or older, working hard to keep blood sugar levels (A1C) very tight did not reduce their chances of developing serious complications like kidney damage, eye damage, or serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes compared to a more relaxed blood sugar target. One striking observation was that many participants passed away before they could have experienced any potential benefit from tighter blood sugar control, suggesting that at very advanced ages, other health concerns may matter more than aggressive blood sugar management. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that canagliflozin — a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana — was linked to a significant reduction in the risk of kidney failure (when the kidneys stop working well enough on their own) in adults aged 50 and older with type 2 diabetes. Specifically, for roughly every 28 people who took the medication over three years, one case of kidney failure may have been prevented. The medication also appeared to lower the risk of death from serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, though that finding wasn't strong enough statistically to be considered definitive. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes who used a pharmacist-supported smartphone app called CareAide® were much more likely to take their medications as prescribed — about 82% stayed on track, compared to just 33% without the app. People using the app also reported feeling better overall, particularly in how they coped with daily life and their relationships. The effect on blood sugar levels (A1C) was less clear-cut, with mixed results depending on how it was measured, so that part of the finding should be taken with caution. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A study found that immigrant patients in Italy with type 2 diabetes had better blood sugar level (A1C) — a measure of how well blood sugar is managed over the past few months — when they received diabetes education that was tailored to their cultural background, compared to those who received standard care. The culturally adapted program, which involved dietitians and community cultural guides working together, also led to improvements in waist size, cholesterol levels, and how well patients stuck to their treatment plans. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that taking a combination of four diabetes medications at once did not help newly diagnosed people with type 2 diabetes reach remission — meaning normal blood sugar levels without medication — any more than standard care did. About 38% of people on the four-drug plan and 44% on standard care reached remission, which were close enough that the difference could simply be due to chance. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that tirzepatide (brand name Mounjaro), a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza, was linked to fewer serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes in people with type 2 diabetes or obesity. The analysis looked at 22 studies involving more than 29,000 people and also found that those taking tirzepatide were less likely to die from any cause compared to those who weren't taking it. This appears to be a new finding about tirzepatide's heart-related benefits, and researchers noted that higher doses were linked to even greater reductions in serious heart problems.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that in men with type 2 diabetes, eating a meal high in fructose — a type of sugar found in fruit juice, honey, and many processed foods — was linked to higher levels of a key inflammation marker in the blood, compared to eating a meal with regular sugar or exercising on an empty stomach. Inflammation is when the body's immune system stays in an activated state, which over time can cause harm, and people with type 2 diabetes already tend to have higher inflammation levels. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes who took a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana were about 23–25% less likely to experience worsening eye damage — including a condition called diabetic macular edema, where fluid builds up in the eye and can blur vision — compared to people taking other blood sugar medications. The benefit was seen across several comparison medications, including a diabetes medication like Januvia and older drugs called sulfonylureas, though the advantage was smaller when compared to a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes may be at higher risk for a decline in thinking and planning skills — the mental abilities that help with things like decision-making and staying organized. Looking at 16 studies, researchers found that exercise, especially programs that combine cardio (like walking or cycling) with strength training and balance work at a moderate-to-high effort level, showed the most promising results for protecting those thinking skills. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that in people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, taking a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana (dapagliflozin) led to a greater reduction in the thickness of artery walls — a measure that doctors use to track early signs of heart disease — compared to taking metformin, a common first diabetes pill. This is interesting because thicker artery walls are linked to a higher risk of serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes, so reducing that thickness early on could potentially be meaningful for long-term health. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a combination medication called iGlarLixi — which pairs a long-acting insulin with a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza — helped people with type 2 diabetes in Asia and the Pacific keep their blood sugar levels in a healthy range more often than either treatment used alone, and it also caused fewer large blood sugar swings throughout the day. This could matter because keeping blood sugar steady — not just lowering it on average — may help reduce the risks that come with poorly managed diabetes. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Ask your doctor: Ask the doctor whether iGlarLixi might help the patient keep blood sugar levels more stable and in a healthy range compared to the patient's current diabetes medication.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes who were already taking a once-weekly insulin called icodec saw meaningful improvements in their blood sugar level (A1C) — dropping from about 7.9% to 6.7% — when a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza (semaglutide) was added to their routine, and they also lost an average of about 8.5 pounds during that period. This is interesting because it suggests that combining these two once-weekly treatments may help people get their blood sugar under better control while also reducing body weight, which are both important concerns for people managing type 2 diabetes. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza (called efpeglenatide) reduced serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes by 27% in people with type 2 diabetes who already had heart or kidney disease. To understand *why* it helped, researchers looked at several body measurements that changed during the study — and found that improvements in LDL cholesterol (often called 'bad' cholesterol) and a kidney health marker called urine albumin (a sign of how well the kidneys are filtering) together explained roughly 30% of that heart benefit. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes who used a once-weekly insulin called icodec had very low rates of dangerously low blood sugar — often called hypoglycemia — both during moderate exercise and during an 18-hour fast, though half of the participants needed a glucose boost during the fasting period to keep their blood sugar from dropping too low. This suggests that once-weekly insulin may be reasonably safe during common daily challenges like physical activity, but fasting (such as for religious reasons or medical tests) may still require careful monitoring and planning. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with diabetes who took part in a short, four-week compassion meditation program — joining 30–40 minute recorded video sessions — felt less overwhelmed by their diabetes and more confident in managing it, compared to those who didn't meditate. Feeling less distressed and more in control can make it easier for people to stick to healthy habits like monitoring blood sugar and taking medications. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that people with type 2 diabetes and advanced kidney failure who used a continuous glucose monitor — a small wearable sensor that tracks blood sugar around the clock — spent more time with their blood sugar in a healthy range compared to those who only checked with traditional finger-prick testing. Specifically, the continuous monitor helped bring high blood sugar readings down more often, which could be meaningful since poorly managed blood sugar can lead to serious complications over time. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Jardiance or Invokana may help lower high blood pressure — and the effect appeared to be strongest in people who have type 2 diabetes, compared to those without it. Across nearly 49,000 participants in 38 studies, people with type 2 diabetes saw a meaningful drop in their top blood pressure number, while people without diabetes saw a smaller, less consistent change. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
Medications
PubMed · September 1, 2026
A study found that tirzepatide — sold under the brand name Zepbound for obesity and Mounjaro for diabetes — helped people with obesity lose meaningful amounts of weight and improve their overall health markers, including blood sugar level (A1C). Researchers looked at whether people who lost at least 5% of their body weight within the first 8 weeks of treatment (called 'early responders') did better overall, and found that they did see greater improvements compared to those who lost less weight early on. This is a new finding about how early weight loss on tirzepatide may signal better long-term results, which is something people might find helpful to discuss with their doctor.
What's New
PubMed · September 1, 2026
Researchers found that a diabetes medication like Ozempic or Victoza helped protect against serious heart problems like heart attacks or strokes equally well in people with type 2 diabetes, regardless of whether they also had reduced kidney function — meaning the kidneys' ability to filter blood was lower than normal. What's especially interesting is that people with reduced kidney function appeared to get a somewhat larger real-world benefit, because their overall heart risk was already higher to begin with. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult a physician before making any health decisions.