DCB Newsletter #6/23: DID YOU KNOW… how to take care of your mental health as a person with diabetes?

DCB Newsletter #6/23: DID YOU KNOW… how to take care of your mental health as a person with diabetes?

DCB Newsletter #6/23: DID YOU KNOW… how to take care of your mental health as a person with diabetes?

Dear community,

As it is Mental Health Awareness Month, we like to take the opportunity to talk about diabetes and mental health – a topic that often isn’t discussed openly. We hope to give you some interesting food for thought and many thanks to our Dr. Stefanie Hofer for being our author again!

Being diagnosed with diabetes is a life-changing event. Regardless of whether you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it forces you to make changes to your daily routine and take on a lot of new responsibilities.

Did I check my glucose levels? Have I calculated my carbohydrates correctly? Do I have my pen/pump, needles, fully-charged reader and glucose with me? Where and when will I get my diabetes supplies? Will I be able to pay for my insulin next month? When was the last time I saw my endocrinologist? Have I dealt with the insurance letter?

Am I doing this right?

Diabetes is a 24/7 job, and it never takes a day off. This takes a toll on the mental health of children and young people in particular. While their peers may seem to be moving through life with a carefree attitude, diabetes requires them to grow up at an early age and perhaps take on more responsibility than they are ready for. The statistics show the heavy psychological burden of diabetes:

  • People with diabetes are at increased risk of depression, anxiety and eating disorders.[1]
  • Depression rates across the lifespan are twice as high as in the general population.
  • Eating disorders are twice as common in people with type 1 diabetes, with women most affected and bulimia nervosa the most common form.[2]

How can we promote mental health while living with diabetes?

Taking care of our mental wellbeing enables us to take better care of our physical needs, just as taking care of our physical body enables a healthy mind to flourish.

When it comes to wellbeing, we should first address our basic human needs: sleep and rest, hydration and nutrition, time spent outdoors and physical activity, as well as a sense of security, strong social ties and a sense of purpose.

A consistent daily routine can restore a sense of control and self-reliance. Psychotherapy, stress management skills and opening up to a friend or someone you trust can help ease the burden when diabetes becomes too stressful.

A diabetes team should always aim for holistic care, treating the person as a whole, and mental health screening should be part of regular check-ups. If needed, your doctor can refer you to a mental health care provider and find a support plan that meets your needs.

We are more than the sum of our parts. And as people with diabetes, we are more than our blood glucose levels. And whilst living with diabetes may feel overwhelming at times, remember that diabetes is part of your life, but there is more to your life than diabetes.

Thanks so much for reading and we’ll provide you with the next episode of this series soon!

[1] Fisher, L., Polonsky, W. H., Hessler, D. M., Masharani, U., Blumer, I., Peters, A. L.,. Bowyer, V. (2015). Understanding the sources of diabetes distress in adults with type 1 diabetes. Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications,29(4), 572-577.doi:10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2015.01.012

[2] Hanlan ME, Griffith J, Patel N, Jaser SS. Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating in Type 1 Diabetes: Prevalence, Screening, and Treatment Options. Curr Diab Rep. 2013 Sep 12:10.1007/s11892-013-0418-4. doi: 10.1007/s11892-013-0418-4. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 24022608; PMCID: PMC4002640.

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DCB Newsletter #5/23: DID YOU KNOW… what happens when blood glucose rises rapidly?

DCB Newsletter #5/23: DID YOU KNOW… what happens when blood glucose rises rapidly?

DCB Newsletter #5/23: DID YOU KNOW… what happens when blood glucose rises rapidly?

Dear Community,

We gladly present to you the next episode of our series “DID YOU KNOW” where we publish medical facts around diabetes that you might not know yet. Enjoy the read and thank you Dr. Stefanie Hofer for being our author again!

We know that chronic high blood glucose can have serious long-term health consequences, but what happens when blood glucose rises extremely high in a short time? Hyperglycaemia can become an immediate, potentially fatal emergency. Here is what you need to know!

We divide hyperglycaemic emergencies into two forms: Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) and Hyperosmolar Hyperglycaemic State (HHS). Their common element is an extremely high blood glucose level, and they differ in the presence of ketones. Ketones are an alternative source of energy for the body when it cannot use energy from sugar due to a lack of insulin. Both DKA and HHS usually occur in insulin-dependent people due to missed insulin injections, stress or infection.

1. Diabetic K etoacidosis: Keto – ketones, acidosis – acidification of the blood

DKA is characterised by very high blood glucose levels, usually 350 – 600 mg/dl, and high levels of ketones in blood and urine. Common symptoms are heavy breathing, diarrhea, vomiting, confusion and possibly unconsciousness. DKA typically affects people with type 1 diabetes, where a complete lack of insulin leads to high ketone production. Because ketones are dangerous in large amounts, the body tries to get rid of its toxic compounds (acetone) by exhaling them via the lungs – resulting in a fruity breath reminiscent of nail polish remover or alcohol. This is why people with DKA are often mistaken for passed-out drunks at night. Without immediate medical treatment, DKA can lead to severe dehydration, loss of consciousness or death.

2. Hyperosmolar Hyperglycaemic State

Hyperosmolar means that there is too much sugar (and other molecules) in the blood and not enough water to dilute it. In HHS we see extremely high levels of glucose, usually over 1000 mg/dl (55 mmol/L), but no ketones. HHS develops slowly over several days and occurs typically in people with type 2 diabetes, often older people. The first symptoms are often extreme thirst and dehydration, frequent urination and nausea. Warning signs of progression include confusion, loss of vision and eventually unconsciousness or coma.

Hyperglycemic Emergencies – Drunk or Diabetes?

As the brain is dependent on glucose for function, the first symptom of any disruption in glucose metabolism is often confusion or some change in mental status. When medical students ask, “Which patient should we do a glucose test on in the emergency room?“ A common response is: “Any funny patient!“ – referring to signs of confusion or odd behaviour when glucose metabolism has gone out of balance.


By looking out for these warning signs (confused, dehydrated, unconscious) in our environment, we can recognise hyperglycemic emergencies earlier and facilitate prompt, professional medical attention – and prevent dire consequences.

Thanks so much for reading and we’ll provide you with the next episode of this series soon!

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DCB Newsletter #4/23: INSIDE DCB – Interview with Prof. Lilian Witthauer

DCB Newsletter #4/23: INSIDE DCB – Interview with Prof. Lilian Witthauer

Dear Community,

We’re thrilled to present you with the next episode or our series “INSIDE DCB” – this time, an interview with Prof. Lilian Witthauer. Enjoy the read!

Since 2021, Lilian Witthauer has been a professor specialising in sensor technology at the University Department of Diabetology, Endocrinology, Nutritional Medicine and Metabolism (UDEM) and at the DCB (Diabetes Center Berne). Together with her team, she researches innovative sensor technologies to improve the daily lives of people with diabetes.

Lilian, what is your research about?

My field of research is very interdisciplinary and includes both the scientific fundamentals of sensor technology and the clinical aspects of diabetes research. In particular, I focus on the development and improvement of sensors that enable people with diabetes to continuously measure blood glucose levels. An important aspect of my work is to make these sensors more accurate and reliable to enable automated insulin delivery. To achieve this goal, we redesign sensors, use different materials and optimise insulin delivery.

What motivates you to work in the field of diabetes technology? How did you get into it as a physicist?

What motivates me most is that people with diabetes can live better lives by having access to advanced sensor technologies that improve their healthcare and promote self-control and responsibility. I am involved in the field of diabetes technology as a physicist because I have always been interested in the application of physical principles and methods in medicine. As part of a changing society, diabetes is an important topic where there are still many opportunities for development.

What is your biggest challenge as a professor?

My biggest challenge as a professor is to find a balance between research, teaching and administration and to ensure that my team and I achieve our goals effectively and efficiently. This is not always easy, as I only have a short time for each individual task. It’s like I’m strategically managing a company, and at the same time I’m responsible for the operational implementation, while also taking care of the finances and IT.

Professor Dr. Lilian Witthauer. Assistant Professor with Tenure Track in Diabetes Technology. Photo credit: Sandra Blaser

What goals do you want to achieve with your team and your laboratory, the samlab (Sensing and Monitoring Lab)?

In collaboration with my team and samlab, I am pursuing the goal of developing innovative sensor technologies that make everyday life easier for people with diabetes and improve their quality of life. In addition, we want to promote interdisciplinarity and closely link our research results with practice.

What projects are you currently researching and how can they make life easier for people with diabetes?

One of my current projects deals with the development of a sensor that measures the glucose level in the blood continuously and without delay. The instantaneous measurement is of special interest when the blood glucose level changes rapidly, during meals, sports, or stress. The glucose sensor is based on a light-based measurement method and therefore differs from existing sensors on the market.

Such a sensor could be worn longer and would allow for completely automated insulin delivery. This would reduce the number of decisions a person with diabetes has to make every day and thus improve the quality of life.

How do you work with the DCB?

The DCB offers a unique environment where I work closely with project managers and experts from the hospital, statistics and business environment. We have regular meetings and interdisciplinary working groups to coordinate our work and drive the development of innovative solutions. In addition, the DCB connects me with industry partners and start-ups, which is very important in my research field.

Where do you hope your research field will be in 5-10 years? What is your vision?

My vision is that in 5-10 years, a wide range of innovative sensor technologies will be available to make the daily lives of people with diabetes easier and improve their healthcare.

I hope that our research will help to make monitoring blood glucose levels easier and more accurate, and that people with diabetes will be able to make better decisions about their diet, exercise and insulin therapy based on real-time data.

About Lilian Witthauer

Lilian Witthauer is Assistant Professor of Diabetes Technology at the University of Bern and the Diabetes Center Berne (DCB). She studied physics in Basel, completed a Master of Advanced Studies in medical physics at ETH Zurich and graduated with a PhD in nuclear and particle physics from the University of Basel in 2015. Lilian Witthauer has done postdoctoral research in the development of optical sensors for navigation during surgery at the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Basel and on oxygen sensors at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston (USA).

More about samlab: https://samlab.org

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DCB Newsletter #3/23: DID YOU KNOW… the risk factors for women’s health in diabetes?

DCB Newsletter #3/23: DID YOU KNOW… the risk factors for women’s health in diabetes?

DCB Newsletter #3/23: DID YOU KNOW… the risk factors for women’s health in diabetes?

Dear Community,

We’re thrilled to present you with the next episode of our series “DID YOU KNOW” where we present medical facts around diabetes that you might not know yet. Enjoy the read and thank you Dr. Stefanie Hofer for being our author on International Women’s Day!

1. Cardiovascular mortality

Managing diabetes is a daily struggle but is poses even greater risks and challenges for women. Generally, diabetes roughly doubles the risk for cardiovascular mortality, for women it is even a three-fold risk-increase. They are likely to have earlier heart attacks and are more likely to die from it.1 Due to differences in acute symptoms, women often don’t get the right treatment for severe cardiac events: While men may present with excruciating chest pain, women often display less obvious symptoms like neck- and abdominal pain, insomnia, and shortness of breath.

2. Reproductive health

Women with diabetes also face additional challenges related to their reproductive health. Conditions such as Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), hormonal imbalances, impaired fertility, aggravation of menopausal symptoms and urinary tract infections (UTIs) occur all too frequently and can be a significant limitation in daily life.

3. Mental burden

Besides physical problems, the mental burden of diabetes weighs heavy. Stigma around weight and lifestyle in diabetes is highly prevalent and affects women more often than men. In gestational diabetes, women may experience stigma in the form of discrimination from health personnel, guilt and shame. While weight and lifestyle are important risk factors, gestational diabetes also occurs in metabolically healthy women, and these feelings of blame can be a heavy burden during this time.

4. Being criticised

Women also are more likely to feel criticized for their dietary choices and body weight, both in the media and personally. The recommendation to “just move more and eat better “, or questions such as „are you really allowed to eat that?“, can take on special significance in women. The constant preoccupation with food, weighing it, reading labels, rating its nutritional value, and classifying it into “good” and “bad” can be a major contributor to an unhealthy relationship with food. In female adolescents, eating disorders and weight dysphoria are particularly common and even more so in females with type 1 diabetes.

5. Sex disparities

It begins early on: a recent published systematic review showed that girls with T1D have higher BMIs, worse glycemic control, need higher insulin doses, more hospitalisations, and a lower quality of life, compared to their male counterparts.

So, what is needed to improve women’s health care in diabetes? One step is raising awareness and fostering understanding. But more than understanding, women and girls with diabetes need special attention from their physicians to their unique concerns: their physical symptoms, their mental health, and secure access to a tight support-network from various fields of health care.

Thanks so much for reading and we’ll provide you with the next episode of this series soon!

Norhammar A. Diabetes and cardiovascular mortality: the impact of sex. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2018 Jul;6(7):517-519. doi: 10.1016/S2213-8587(18)30111-6. Epub 2018 May 8. Erratum in: Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol. 2018 Jul;6(7):e6. PMID: 29752193.

Keteepe-Arachi T, Sharma S. Cardiovascular Disease in Women: Understanding Symptoms and Risk Factors. Eur Cardiol. 2017 Aug;12(1):10-13. doi: 10.15420/ecr.2016:32:1. PMID: 30416543; PMCID: PMC6206467.

Davidsen E, Maindal HT, Rod MH, Olesen K, Byrne M, Damm P, Nielsen KK. The stigma associated with gestational diabetes mellitus: A scoping review. EClinicalMedicine. 2022 Aug 11;52:101614. doi: 10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101614. PMID: 35990581; PMCID: PMC9386490.

Striegel-Moore RH, Rosselli F, Perrin N, DeBar L, Wilson GT, May A, Kraemer HC. Gender difference in the prevalence of eating disorder symptoms. Int J Eat Disord. 2009 Jul;42(5):471-4. doi: 10.1002/eat.20625. PMID: 19107833; PMCID: PMC2696560.

de Vries, Silvia & Verheugt, Carianne & Mul, Dick & Nieuwdorp, Max & Sas, Theo. (2023). Do sex differences in paediatric type 1 diabetes care exist? A systematic review. Diabetologia. 66. 10.1007/s00125-022-05866-4.

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DCB Newsletter #2/23: INSIDE DCB – our Research Facility

DCB Newsletter #2/23: INSIDE DCB – our Research Facility

DCB Newsletter #2/23: INSIDE DCB – our Research Facility

Do you already know all the services of DCB? With our Service Portfolio, DCB accompanies you on your entire translational journey. Would you like to conduct a study or research, but lack the appropriate premises and services? You might want to check out our research facility. Thanks to Thomas Gerber for the contribution!

The DCB Research Facility is located in the sitem-insel building on the 4th floor in Bern, Switzerland.

On more than 700 m2 the facility offers space for office workstations and project rooms. It was designed in such a way that each room can be adapted highly flexibly to the corresponding requirements of each project. Today it can be an office, tomorrow it is already a laboratory.

At the moment, DCB has three units in operation:

The Clinic offers space for clinical trials including the possibility for studies with overnight stays for up to 6 participants. The facilities have been designed to perform Diabetes Technology trials for new Glucose Sensors (BGM, CGM), Closed-Loop Trials and even Clamp Studies can be performed here:

The Metabolic Research Lab meets the requirements of Biological Safety Level Lab:

The third unit has been set up for our first professorship and provides space for optical experiments in a Biological Safety Level 1 hygienic area.

Each unit has its own equipment with maintenance and calibration interval; adapted to the applicable regulations.

Controlled storage conditions are also provided so that the respective sample material and the necessary materials can be adequately stored.

Are you interested in carrying out your studies or projects in a safe and controlled environment and benefit from the numerous services offered by our teams? Learn more about it here and contact us.

Thanks for reading, dear community, and till next time!

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DCB Newsletter #1/23: DID YOU KNOW… that insulin enables you to think, grow and reproduce?

DCB Newsletter #1/23: DID YOU KNOW… that insulin enables you to think, grow and reproduce?

DCB Newsletter #1/23: DID YOU KNOW… that insulin enables you to think, grow and reproduce?

Dear Community,

We hope you had wonderful holidays and a good start into the new year 2023! We’re thrilled to introduce some new content series, one of which is “DID YOU KNOW” where we present medical facts around diabetes that you might not know yet. Enjoy the read and thank you Dr. Stefanie Hofer for being our author this time!

When one thinks of diabetes, insulin automatically comes to mind, an important hormone for the human metabolism. But what is its function and, above all, what side effects does insulin have?

Besides lowering glucose being the main task for insulin, there’s more to it. While usually unnoticed, in type 1 diabetes, where insulin is missing, these side-functions become evident:

1. Cognitive function, learning, memory

Insulin has a key role in the hippocampus, a brain region that is highly involved in learning, memory and cognitive performance. Besides that it has regulating connections to the limbic system, where emotions, motivation, motor-action control and social behavior is controlled. An absence of insulin (and therefore glucose) leads to difficulties in memory, cognitive function and irritability. The higher the insulin sensitivity, the higher the cognitive performance indicators. [1]

2. Hunger and satiety

Physiologically, after a meal containing carbohydrates, insulin levels rise. As insulin passes the blood-brain-barrier, it acts as a strong feedback signal on satiety-centers (specifically, POMC-Neurons) in the hypothalamus. An absence of or resistance to this signal, as in T1/T2 diabetes, is interpreted by the brain as a shortage in nutrients and energy, thus leading to more appetite and initiating food seeking behavior. [2]

3. Tissue growth

Insulin is one of the most important anabolic, growth hormones. Especially muscles and bones, but also skin, hair and nails depend on the presence, and the right amount of insulin to grow. [3]

4. Fertility

Insulin acts on the female reproductive tract by regulating the production of estrogen and testosterone in hormone-producing cells on ovaries. High insulin levels can lead to high testosterone production, leading to symptoms of PCOS (irregular periods, masculine hair growth, acne). Also contributing to excess estrogen production, sore breasts, fibroids and heavy menses are typically associated with high levels of insulin. Conversely, the absence of insulin (as in T1D) is interpreted as a shortage in food-supply and in order to preserve energy, specific brain centers stop the production of cycle-regulating hormones, leading to irregular periods and infertility. [4][5][6]

Thanks so much for reading and we’ll provide you with the next episode of this series soon!

[1] Capucho AM, Chegão A, Martins FO, Vicente Miranda H, Conde SV. Dysmetabolism and Neurodegeneration: Trick or Treat? Nutrients. 2022; 14(7):1425. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14071425

[2] S.M. Anika, T.R. Houpt, K.A. Houpt, Insulin as a satiety hormone, Physiology & Behavior, Volume 25, Issue 1,1980,Pages 21-23, ISSN 0031-9384, https://doi.org/10.1016/0031-9384(80)90175-4.

[3] Insulin and bone health in young adults: The mediator role of lean mass Torres-Costoso A, Pozuelo-Carrascosa DP, Álvarez-Bueno C, Ferri-Morales A, Miota Ibarra J, et al. (2017) Insulin and bone health in young adults: The mediator role of lean mass. PLOS ONE 12(3): e0173874. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0173874

[4] Fica S, Albu A, Constantin M, Dobri GA. Insulin resistance and fertility in polycystic ovary syndrome. J Med Life. 2008 Oct-Dec;1(4):415-22. PMID: 20108521; PMCID: PMC3018970.

[5] Hill JW, Elmquist JK, Elias CF. Hypothalamic pathways linking energy balance and reproduction. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2008 May;294(5):E827-32. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00670.2007. Epub 2008 Feb 19. PMID: 18285524; PMCID: PMC5724360.

[6] George B. Karkanias, Jose C. Morales, Chang-Sheng Li, Deficits in Reproductive Behavior in Diabetic Female Rats Are Due to Hypoinsulinemia Rather Than Hyperglycemia, Hormones and Behavior, Volume 32, Issue 1, 1997,Pages 19-29, ISSN 0018-506X,

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