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Jim Beatty is a passionate volunteer in the fight against type 1 diabetes.  For many years, Jim has volunteered with the JDRF, and now Breakthrough T1D, emceeing events and participating on various committees.

Jim has been living with type 1 diabetes for more than 20 years, following his adult diagnosis. Jim is a former journalist who now operates his own communications company in Victoria, B.C., where he likes to hike, fish and enjoy the West Coast with his family.

Breakthrough T1D Canada: Can you share what you remember about the lead up to you being diagnosed?

Jim Beatty: I was healthy, active; I had two young kids. At the time, I was the bureau chief for the Vancouver Sun covering the provincial legislature, which was a busy, stressful job. Every fall, I had my bloodwork done trying to get my cholesterol down. In the fall, everything was fine with my bloodwork. But things would soon change. As Christmas approached, I know exactly the morning – I was going to interview the Premier (Gordon Campbell at the time) for the usual year-end discussion, where we talk about the year that was, and year that will be, a kind of a state of the union address.
 
I remember I got dressed at home, put on my suit and tie but then saying to my wife that I don’t feel good, I don’t think I can go to work. I was so sick, and it hit me so fast that my wife had to call the press secretary to cancel the interview for me.

For two weeks, I had what I thought was very severe flu. But two months later, I noticed I was always exhausted, I would fall asleep after dinner, and I had an unquenchable thirst. I started needing to wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. On their own, all these symptoms are all pretty benign and easily ignored or explained away.

But it wasn’t getting better, so I went to my family doctor, and he said let’s just do some bloodwork. Bloodwork came back and the doctor, said “you have diabetes.” Not type 1, just ‘diabetes’. I knew nothing about diabetes. Type 1 or two. Nobody had it in my family, I had no familiarity with this disease, and back then, there was no Google to look anything up.

I had an initial misdiagnosis of type 2, because when you were my age (36), for most doctors, they see it as most likely being type 2. I was told to modify my diet and do more exercise. I did all that, even though I had already been living that way before for the most part. I got my blood tested again and the A1C was still really high. They put me on Metformin, and that didn’t work either. And so, I needed to go insulin, with multiple daily injections. 

I didn’t like needles, and I remember sitting on the side of my bed, with an actual needle and having to put that in my belly. I will never forget how tough that was, how invasive it felt. February was when I first told I had diabetes, and by summer I was on insulin therapy.

Breakthrough T1D Canada: How did you navigate your diagnosis?

Jim Beatty: I did everything the doctors told me to do; I didn’t foot drag on that. But I did feel robbed; I did feel that it might be a mistake (the diagnosis of T1D). I did think maybe I could exercise or diet my way out of it, maybe it’s a blip, a false-positive? I was doubting and I had persistent thoughts that I could work my way out of it. But after a while, it was quite clear it wasn’t going anywhere.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have anyone to talk to about it. I didn’t know anyone with type 1. Other than my family doctor, who I saw every 3-4 months, I was navigating it on my own. I wish that the supports that are available today were available then, especially for adults.

It was isolating, lonely, and there were just so many questions. Things that I take for granted now, I had no idea then. It was all new. I’d never handled a needle before. I’d never done finger poking (to check blood glucose levels). I certainly didn’t know what basal and bolus meant (types of insulins). My endocrinologist was talking in terms and language that I had no reference for. It was a confusing and frustrating period.

Initially, I was a newspaper reporter, and I did share with the two colleagues who I worked closely with, they needed to know I had this condition, that I might need sugar, that I was having frequent doctor’s appointments. I didn’t let management or bosses know, however. My thought process was that it was going to be an impediment to my career success, that it would be seen as a weakness, or a vulnerability. And that it might be a reason not to promote me to the next level.

Not long after my diagnosis, I moved to television broadcasting. I was the Bureau Chief with CTV Vancouver. I did tell the cameraman who I was working with every day, because for example if I told him I need to eat, I needed to eat. It wasn’t just hunger. It was a need.

But I still wasn’t comfortable with my diagnosis, and I didn’t speak freely, outside of family and friends.

I had moved my job again and I was the chief news anchor for CHEK News in Victoria, and this philosophy still hadn’t changed much. Bosses, news director, management – none of them knew I had type 1. I largely kept my diagnosis invisible. I would be anchoring the news, and when we went to commercial break, I had a little table next to me, and I would do a finger poke to see if I needed sugar, or to calibrate my insulin. And people didn’t know I was doing this; it was all hidden.

Then, a call from Breakthrough T1D (then JDRF), would change everything. I was asked to emcee a fundraising gala event. They were asking because I was a broadcaster and was known in the community, but they had no idea I had T1D. The request threw me into a bit of a tailspin because I knew if I was going to be genuine and host a fundraiser for type 1 diabetes research; it would be disingenuous not to admit I was also living with this.

I thought about the request for a few days. I ruminated over whether I should ‘go public’ and eventually I decided that yes, I’m going to do it. The first people I spoke with were my bosses. I said, ‘look I’m going to be hosting this event on Saturday, and it could be a news story when I reveal that I also have type 1 diabetes.’

Then, I stood up on the stage, and I basically ‘came out’ – ‘I am not just your emcee, I am one of you.’ And I told my story. It was a great night. It was a very liberating evening. People came up to thank me, I immediately felt support. And it was the beginning of being open about living with this disease and living with it as you need to. Unafraid to talk about it, being honest about any assistance you might need. It was a pivotal moment because it freed me.

I had no connection with Breakthrough T1D (JDRF) before that event, and it started a relationship that continues to this day. Galas in Victoria, Vancouver, Walks, Rides, government relations committee. It was very liberating and took me places I didn’t expect.

Breakthrough T1D Canada: What would a cure look like for you?

Jim Beatty: What I think of as a cure is something that will return my life to normalcy. Living without having to carry snacks with me, being hooked up 24/7 to the devices, being able to go for a walk or a hike, or to eat pizza, and not doing all the thinking and calculating that comes with it. A cure would be a life when I no longer have to constantly think about diabetes and all its complications.  It would be a return to having the life I had before. So, yes, of course, it would be fantastic.

Five years, five years, every diabetic has said that they’ve been hearing ‘the cure is coming in five years’ for decades. That ‘five years’ is a false hope, so I don’t say that anymore, or believe it could be possible in five years.

So, when I think about the cure, I don’t think about the ‘cure’ per se. I am more interested in treatments today that are making my life better. And there are so many that I am using today that were pipe dreams twenty years ago. I am living my life better today because of the advancements in treatment, and those incremental things have made a significant difference. Today my A1C levels are better than they’ve ever been in my life, and that is because of the CGM and insulin pump, and how they help me manage my (blood glucose) levels more precisely.

A cure is a far-off, long-distance notion to me. I view treatments as real, closer, and more tangible.

Breakthrough T1D Canada: Is there anything else you’d like to share with the T1D community?

Jim Beatty: The thing I wish I had done was to be more open to these discussions, open about my diagnosis, earlier and not keep it a secret. By holding onto it, holding onto this big secret of something so significant in my life – at the time I thought it was the right thing. But now I know that’s not the case. I could have learned more, had more support, my journey would have been better and easier, much sooner.

So please know that you don’t need to feel isolated. You can be open; you can reach out for assistance. Take the help. And know that life is good today. 

We are pleased to announce 6 new grants funded via Breakthrough T1D International (USA) to stellar Canadian scientists.  These grants all support cell therapy research to replace insulin-producing cells in people living with T1D.

Dr. Cristina Nostro, University Health Network (Toronto)

Manufacturing clinical-grade stem cell-derived islets – 2 Grants

To date, global efforts on this work – largely led by Canadians – has used research-grade cell lines which are less expensive and more readily available for experimentation. To move these therapies towards the clinic there is a requirement for Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) to be met. This includes properly trained personnel, GMP-certified premises and equipment, clinical-grade starting cell lines, validated protocols and practices, etc. 

Two shots on goal: These two grants will each use Dr. Nostro’s world-renowned differentiation protocol to engineer islets using clinical-grade stem cell lines in GMP-certified facilities that have the ability to scale up the differentiation process.

Consider Dr. Nostro’s differentiation protocol as an excellent sourdough bread recipe perfected in her kitchen with consistent, delicious results. That recipe will now be taken to two different commercial bakeries to use their ingredients and facilities to see if they can make the same excellent sourdough loaves consistently in large production quantities.

Dr. Guy Rutter, CHUM Montreal

Imaging to explore the survival and function of stem cell-derived islets transplanted in mice

Goal: A novel imaging technique to examine human stem cell-derived islets in mice

• Will allow real-time comparison of transplant sites (liver vs under skin)
• Better assessment of cell death / blood supply / immune attack

A significant hurdle for assessing T1D and islet transplantation is that there is virtually no way to ‘see’ islets inside a person, even in small animals. No imaging technique allows us to ‘look at islets’ and see how many are alive, functional, producing insulin, etc.  This is why some clinical trials using islet transplantation devices (microencapsulation) have involved device removal at periodic timepoints so that the islets can be removed from the body and examined to evaluate their survival and function. Dr. Rutter is proposing a novel imaging technique to ‘see’ islet functioning in mice, which can help guide factors affecting the survival and function of transplanted islets.

Dr. Patrick MacDonald, University of Alberta

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven benchmarking for understanding and improving stem cell-derived islets

Over the past 5+ years, Dr. MacDonald and his team have created a groundbreaking database: humanislets.com, which isolates islets from donated pancreases (from deceased donors with T1D, T2D, and without diabetes) and characterizes the islets and their function using “omics”. This is a broad term to encompass the study of all the biological molecules of a cell, such as genomics (DNA), transcriptomics (RNA), proteomics (proteins), and metabolomics (metabolites), etc. Together “omics” data creates an exceptionally robust characterization of each islet – and all of this is made publicly available to scientists around the world through this research.

Goal: Dr. MacDonald’s new grant will expand this Breakthrough T1D-funded database to include stem cell-derived islets for comparison to donor islets and incorporate artificial intelligence methods to dig deeper into this comparison.

Dr. Haoning Cen, University of British Columbia

Postdoctoral Fellowship (Supervisors: Dr. Francis Lynn & Dr. Leonard Foster)

A blueprint for making better beta cells

Goal: to create blueprints for donor beta cells vs stem cell-derived beta cells

• Will use protein detection to identify 10,000+ proteins
• Will classify each protein’s quantity and location to compare ‘natural’ vs stem cell-derived beta cells

Dr. Sean Kinney, University of Toronto

Postdoctoral Fellowship (Supervisor: Dr. Michael Sefton)

Biomaterial platform for islet transplantation under the skin

Goal: to create a biological scaffold (a small structure made from bio-compatible materials that can support new cell growth and survival) for islet transplantation using regenerative hydrogel.

• The scaffold will support blood vessel, nerve, tissue growth to support islet survival
• Immunomodulating therapy (modifying the immune system’s function, for example) embedded in the scaffold will be explored

Type 1 in year 1: turning the page on an unexpected diagnosis at university

Meet Aryssah, an incredibly resilient adult living with type 1 diabetes (T1D). She is a committed $100M Campaign to Accelerate volunteer and champion of diabetes and mental health support. She devotes her time to appreciating the incredible philanthropic donors who help fuel Breakthrough T1D’s Mental Health Strategy for Type 1 Diabetes. She also generously funds a scholarship for students with T1D attending their first year of university.

This Mental Health Awareness Month, Aryssah candidly shares her T1D journey to spread awareness of the daily burdens endured by those living with this autoimmune disease. Her story paints a stark picture of the gaps in diabetes care and support in Canada, particularly for newly diagnosed adults—gaps we are working to address with donor support.

Nearly 300,000 Canadians live with T1D today, with approximately 12,200 diagnoses anticipated in 2025 alone. $100M Campaign to Accelerate donors play a significant role in speeding up a future where everyone with T1D has access to the care, tools, and resources they need to thrive.

Had Aryssah received comprehensive support at diagnosis—addressing not only the physical demands of T1D but its mental tolls, too—her early years with T1D may have looked different. But like many impacted by T1D, Aryssah does not let her diagnosis, or this disease, stop her from courageously pursuing a hopeful and fulfilling life. Aryssah shares her story with candour and the utmost care for the T1D community, hoping to garner even more support to improve lives and accelerate cures.

When Aryssah was 19, she became lethargic and would get foot cramps after sports, which was unusual for a young varsity athlete. With additional symptoms like increased thirst and significant weight loss, she was diagnosed with T1D shortly after a visit to her family doctor.

Had she been diagnosed just one year prior, she would have gotten support and resources through the pediatric diabetes clinic. Instead, she was treated like an adult and had to figure out how to manage this autoimmune disease on her own. She remembers going to the diabetic nurse’s office only to be given a couple of insulin pens and have them prick her finger. “It felt very independent,” she says, “in reflection now, part of me is a little sad for myself at that time, because if I was diagnosed a couple of months earlier, I would have been set up at SickKids and would have been walked through the whole process with my mom.”

Initially, Aryssah didn’t feel that T1D was too severe. As an active young adult, she felt invincible. She even ran a marathon just a mere three months after being diagnosed. But for the first few years living with T1D, she struggled to navigate her new reality. She found it challenging to balance such a complex disease while attending classes, competing as an athlete, and wanting to participate in the entire university experience.

Ill-equipped to properly manage her blood glucose levels, she was in and out of the hospital throughout school and, as a result, unable to finish her fourth year. These hospitalizations were very traumatic for her, and overall, she didn’t feel like herself.

“I did not take care of myself in the way that I should have. And it’s probably because I didn’t have that support in the beginning to set me up for success down the road,” she says.

In her mid-twenties, she sought out a psychotherapist to figure out how to deal with these traumas and the mental health aspects of living with T1D. Therapy allowed her to process and accept her diagnosis and has been integral to her health journey ever since. Perseverance and optimism are in her nature, and she has always used her diagnosis as fuel to combat adversity.

Later in life, when Aryssah could better manage her blood sugars, she returned to school and completed her university degree with Honours. For all those living with T1D or newly diagnosed, she advises, “This is one instance of your health where you have to relinquish control almost automatically because you can do everything right (you can track your carbs and can inject what you need to), and your blood sugar’s still going to muck up; it’s not a science…We are all trying our best and are so much larger than our actual diagnosis or disease.”

Through Breakthrough T1D, Aryssah also developed meaningful connections with the T1D community. Having support from those who understand the disease firsthand has been invaluable to her. As a form of giving back, Aryssah established the Torchbearer Scholarship for Type Ones to help support others navigating the highs and lows of T1D while attending university. All students who live with T1D entering their first year of university are invited to apply for this $1,000 scholarship opportunity. The application deadline is July 31, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST.  

“You cannot see the destruction that diabetes does to your brain as a young adult or even as you continue to grow,” Aryssah says, “and that is sometimes even more important than blood sugar management because it goes hand-in-hand. Mental health is something that we need to take into consideration. It never really comes up with diabetes.”

$100M Campaign to Accelerate donors are speeding up progress to ensure that no one is left to manage this disease alone, as Aryssah and countless others have had to.

Outstanding philanthropists are advancing our Mental Health Strategy, supporting vital initiatives like the Mental Health + Diabetes Training Program and Directory, community mental health grants, research interventions, and peer-support programs. These leadership gifts ($5,000 or more) help fill critical gaps in T1D care, improve health outcomes, and combat stigma.

To make a meaningful investment through the $100M Campaign to Accelerate and become part of our exceptional major gift community, please contact:

Kim Lacombe 
Vice President, Philanthropy
klacombe@breakthroughT1D.ca
438-814-1668

Peter Dreimanis is a multidisciplinary artist, perhaps best known as a co-founder of the Juno Award-winning band July Talk.

In June 2020, he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D) as an adult and had to learn to navigate the disease against the backdrop of lockdowns and uncertainty of the pandemic.

Peter was part of the Beyond the Numbers: Real stories of navigating mental health and T1D video series project, that captures real stories from people living with this disease, exploring how T1D affects their mental health and emotional well-being.

Peter recently sat down with Breakthrough T1D Canada to share his story of being diagnosed later in life, and how T1D has changed his life as an artist, partner and father.

Breakthrough T1D Canada: Tell us a little about when you were diagnosed.

Peter: Well, I got COVID at the very beginning of the pandemic. We’d been touring as a band for the better part of 12 years or so, and I was never someone to listen to my body. I didn’t have the skills to know what my body needed, to determine if something was wrong. I was better at silencing things – driving through pain, ignoring the signals to slow down etc.

A while before the pandemic shutdown, in January of 2020, my partner bought tickets to see my favourite team play in Buffalo. We went across the border and when we came home, we got incredibly sick, worse than I have ever been. It was an extreme illness. You know what a flu bug feels like, but I wasn’t plugged into the scientific news, wasn’t paying attention to the slowly emerging news about covid. So, all this to say, I got very sick for a couple weeks, and then slowly we approached the shutdown.

Around April, I started having people say I ‘looked great’, I looked like ‘I had been working out, lost weight’ – and I didn’t know what to make of it. One of my roommates was vegan, I’d been eating those meals, not going out for food, but I wasn’t really making lifestyle choices.

And always, I continued to just push through. I didn’t pay it much thought until around May/June – I was experiencing extreme thirst, I was eating ice cream, eating giant meals of sourdough bread and rice, and still I was losing weight.

I attributed it to being a workaholic in a state struggling to accept that we had to slow down. We (July Talk) had been working on an album. I was in denial, and still just trying to make the album work.

And I continued to worsen, I would have days where I would be drinking 10-12 litres of water a day, I couldn’t get enough. I would walk up the stairs with equipment and think I would pass out. We did huge shows in summer 2020, we put together a socially distanced concert experience, drive-in and broadcast at the drive in. It was a massive undertaking; I worked full-time for 3 months to try and figure out how to pull it off. So, I was laser focused on that. And I remember I would go down for a nap at like 6pm, so exhausted I couldn’t think, and I wouldn’t wake up until the next morning. I was just so exhausted, so thirsty, so confused.

And yet – it wasn’t until a professional photographer took some photos to help promote the show that I realized, wow, I look really skinny. I weighed myself and I was 50lbs lighter. My partner had been on me about how thin I was looking. You could see my ribs. I had no frame of reference; I had never been rewarded for slowing down. But thank goodness I went and got blood tests and was immediately diagnosed – first with type 2.

I was initially put on metformin, and it obviously didn’t work. I fortunately was seen by an endocrinologist who immediately recognized it as type 1. So, I went on insulin therapy, and I still see this same endo today. I was connected with a DEC (diabetes education coordinator), and a nurse. I was weeks away from this show. They warned me that if I didn’t take this on (managing my T1D), I could die. My partner was and has been incredible, And I realize now how much T1D affects the people who love you. I harbour some shame and guilt around my will to take it on; for not truly recognizing, or perhaps accepting, the severity of the situation.

I did my first insulin shot two or three days before we went on stage, and I really didn’t know what I was doing. I was using fingerpricks (to measure blood glucose levels) at the time. I wasn’t taking it seriously right away. It’s truly a continuous lifestyle change, and I don’t think I really understood the gravity of that yet. I got through the shows somehow without going low. My adrenaline seems to send me up. In my experience touring since diagnosis, I always have juice on stage. I’m always going on stage at around 9 (blood glucose level) – my adrenaline has the opposite effect. So, when the adrenaline crashes, that’s when I need the fast-acting carbs.

As soon as this show was done, I went north of the city (Toronto), turned off my emails and phone, did Zoom calls and really started to learn what it means to live with type 1 diabetes.

Breakthrough T1D Canada: How have you adapted since then to your new normal with T1D?

Peter: I felt so supported. I was totally floored by the system that springs into action, I would have rather it be in person instead of over Zoom etc., but it was absolutely stunning how quickly they were able to get us up to speed. Once I was ready, I made every effort to learn how to carb count, etc., – I had notebooks full of stuff. It really takes a while to learn. I liken it to when you’re a new driver and the insurance company tells you that you ‘will get in an accident’. My T1D ‘accident’ was that I had a low (hypoglycemic episode) that resulted in a grand mal seizure, and it was just miscounting my carbs, there was more learning to do. I didn’t know then what I know now.

When it happened, I was on a long phone call with my parents, and I started feeling sweaty and shaky. By the time I was trying to get juice, I was reading at 2.4 (a very low blood glucose level). And by then it was too late, and I went into seizure.

It was a horrifically traumatic experience for me and my family. For a while after, I had panic around lows. I definitely accepted going higher for about a year after that, because of how scary that experience was. I felt like a ticking time bomb that could explode at any minute. All you have to do is look into your partner’s eyes to know how scary it was for them. But knowing that danger gave me a better understanding of what the body experiences when it goes low, and what it actually means to live with this chronic condition. I can handle a low now. But it took time to have the clarity to understand it wasn’t going to be like this forever. And I had some consequences from that episode, like not being able to drive for six months, losing trust in my body etc. But I see it now as a profound life experience, and I grew up a lot.

To speak more about the balance of it, and this is something I give a lot of thought to, we are all simply by waking up in the morning, we are all in a place of trusting our bodies to function as we think they should do. Our bodies are one of the most complex systems in existence, and the pancreas producing insulin, and all the rest of our parts doing what they should do – we never truly think about it. It’s an incredible privilege, the way we think we’re going to be okay is by believing we will be OK.

And for those of us with T1D, that might take technologies, or therapy or whatever you need to rebuild that trust. We have a contract with our bodies, and sometimes I think about it, like when we’re running down a street, there are moments when we’re airborne. And we trust that we’ll land. And I think about how to keep that trust and cultivate that trust in your body. Because it’s the only way we can get through life. And now as someone with T1D, I need to spend more time building that trust because it’s the only way to be OK.

Breakthrough T1D Canada: What T1D research excites you the most right now?

Peter: I don’t consider myself a fully informed person on T1D research, but I’ve read about smart insulins that might eliminate carb counting, and this intrigues me. To free myself of that constant testing (blood glucose levels), to no longer live in a world where you must understand everything you’re eating, to be precise about insulin against that. In a restaurant it’s a guessing game (how many carbs are in a meal). Life doesn’t work that way, in exacts. When you live an untraditional lifestyle, I’m not in a 9-5 job, I’m a parent, sometimes I want to eat my kids’ leftovers without having to calculate percentages.

I say godspeed to the researchers who might be able to eliminate the 10K thoughts I have in a day. Not thinking that much, that would be freedom that I can’t comprehend, and I think especially about people who have lived with T1D for most of their life. It would be incredible. I eagerly await this. I feel very grateful for my CGM and insulin pump, and in all honesty, they drive me nuts, a lot of the time I hate it, but also feel lucky in that I have only experienced T1D when this tech exists, in this unbelievably progressive time. I don’t take that for granted at all. I feel lucky in that way.

Breakthrough T1D Canada: Do you have any last thoughts to share with your fellow T1D community?

Peter: Having the opportunity to hear other people share so openly and honestly as part of the Beyond the Numbers video project turned out to be more helpful than I could have realized before we started.

Talking with others is so therapeutic, none of us are perfect, and we will have many hard and challenging days and times living with T1D. I encourage people to be kind to themselves, to share as much as they are comfortable when things are hard, and to reach out for support when it’s needed. It’s a journey, and there will be bumps along the path, but the support is there.

Follow Peter on IG both at @peter_dreams and @julytalk

May is Mental Health Awareness month, a national movement to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and the structural gaps that exist in accessing treatment and support. 

Mental health is central to living well with type 1 diabetes (T1D). This is why, in 2021, Breakthrough T1D Canada launched its Mental Health Strategy, with the goal of better supporting mental health in people with T1D, while we continue to support research towards cures.

T1D affects a person’s emotional, social, and mental wellbeing throughout their lifetime, known collectively as psychosocial health. Psychosocial challenges can negatively impact diabetes outcomes like glycemia. Many people with T1D experience “diabetes distress” – a term describing the powerlessness, stress, guilt, relentless worry and denial that accompanies living with diabetes and the burden of self-care. In addition, people with T1D are at higher risk of mental health disorders including depression, anxiety and disordered eating. These challenges are common in people with T1D and can be treated – but they are often underappreciated or undertreated because of gaps in care and support.

To better address these areas of need, Breakthrough T1D outlined a three-pronged approach to its Mental Health Strategy: 1) knowledge generation through new research, 2) a new training program for mental health providers, and 3) development of new community supports. Since 2021 when we laid the foundations of this strategy, we have driven substantial progress in all three key areas, thanks to the generous support of donors, as well as partnerships with academia, other diabetes organizations, and community collaborators.

We are pleased to share the updates to this program that have taken place in the past year.

Research Update

Since the launch of our mental health strategy in 2021, we have invested $5 million in new research focused on T1D and psychosocial health, together with partners including Brain Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and Michael Smith-Health Research BC.

This includes funds from Breakthrough T1D Canada, Brain Canada, CIHR, and MSFHR

9 awards total:

• 3 with Brain Canada
• 4 with CIHR
• 1 impact award (BT1D only)
• 1 partnered award to Dr. Tricia Tang (Michael Smith-Health Research BC)

All the new research funded is still in progress. In line with our global research strategy in this area to build programs that are designed to scale up and ultimately help larger numbers of people, many of the projects we are supporting involve development and testing of digital interventions. For example, Dr. Tricia Tang and her team at the University of British Columbia (UBC) carried out a clinical study of their virtual peer support platform called REACHOUT. This platform uses a mobile app to deliver peer-led mental health support by trained mentors to adults living with T1D in rural and remote regions of BC. The trial assessed the effects of virtual peer support on outcomes including diabetes distress, quality of life, and HbA1c. Future work will focus on iterative improvement of the REACHOUT platform and scaling up the reach of trained mentors so that more people with T1D can be supported.

Other studies that are leveraging digital technologies to engage people with T1D across Canada include that of Dr. Deborah Da Costa at McGill University, whose study is testing how best to support the mental health and wellness of women with diabetes during pregnancy, and that of Dr. Holly Witteman from the University of Laval, who is developing a network of virtual peer support for people with T1D with specific needs and interests.

Other Breakthrough T1D-supported research is focused on improving outcomes around the transition from pediatric to adult care, a life stage when many youth stop seeing their endocrinologist, which can lead to challenges such as rising HbA1c, isolation, stigma, and eating disorders. Dr. Sonia Butalia at the University of Calgary is carrying out a clinical trial of a system designed to improve this transition, which saw improved blood glucose levels among those involved in the program’s initial pilot in Calgary. In the latest trial funded by Breakthrough T1D and CIHR, the program, which consists of a transition coordinator and carefully designed communications, is being scaled to other Alberta Health Services (AHS) sites in Calgary, Edmonton, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, and Red Deer.

 These clinics and community partners are very keen on the team’s transition work, and AHS has approved the budget for this project to be sustained past the life of the grant. Translation of this work would mean that this demographic of people living with T1D will no longer fall through the cracks during the transition from pediatric to adult care.   

“My son Luke has lived with T1D since he was 5 years old, and now he is a teenager. It has been a big challenge for him and our whole family, and though Luke is well-supported, in large part due to his involvement with Breakthrough T1D, adolescence and early adulthood bring a whole new set of challenges. I am so glad Dr. Butalia and her team are implementing a model of transition-age care that hopefully will be able to help Luke in a couple of years. It’s great to see this vital research being scaled across Alberta and ideally expanded across the country.” -Ryan MacDonald, Calgary, Breakthrough T1D Campaign to Accelerate Co-Chair.    
 
Mental Health + Diabetes Training Program 

Many people with T1D face mental health challenges that require the support of a registered mental health provider – ideally one who understands the unique mental health challenges posed by diabetes. To help inform Canadian mental health providers about diabetes, Breakthrough T1D launched the Mental Health + Diabetes Training Program in early 2023, in collaboration with Diabetes Canada.

This fully bilingual course is offered virtually as two streams: one for registered Canadian mental health providers (which includes a live facilitated session focused on clinical competencies), and one for other healthcare providers and the public that consists only of self-guided modules. The course is delivered at no cost, provides 10 Continuing Education credits for selected providers, and has been approved by the Canadian Psychological Association as well as other associations.

As of May 2025, over 500 mental health providers have completed the program thus far, and over 1000 others (other types of healthcare providers, or members of the T1D community) have enrolled in the training. Early outcomes of the training program’s impact have recently been published as a peer-reviewed paper in the Canadian Journal of Diabetes. An additional evaluation study is in progress that will assess the impact of the program on trainees’ clinical practice. 

Development of Community Supports

The T1D community is diverse and includes many subgroups with varying psychosocial needs and challenges. Towards meeting this need, in the first three years of our strategy, we strove to develop community supports through several different activities, with the help of our dedicated Mental Health Advisory Council—a group of >100 volunteers with diverse lived experience of T1D. In the past year, we continued to expand our sources of community support in a number of ways.

First, we delivered several virtual events to engage and educate our community:

• Over 500 individuals attended our Breakthrough T1D Education Series – T1D and Mental Health sessions in May 2024 (in English and French).  
• Nearly 200 healthcare providers attended sessions on T1D and eating disorders (in English and French) hosted in collaboration with the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC). These webinars helped increase dialogue and learning opportunities for healthcare providers and others.  
• Over 500 people attended our Breakthrough T1D Education Series – Disordered Eating and T1D. These bilingual events featured speakers from NEDIC, ANEB (Anorexie et boulimie Québec), and people with lived experience and explored the realities and challenges of managing T1D-related eating disorders. By fostering dialogue on this underappreciated topic, we hope to see eating disorders recognized and treated more effectively, leading to better care and outcomes for those impacted. 

Second, we expanded our Directory of mental health providers who have been trained in diabetes through our new training program, as a resource for people with diabetes or healthcare teams to connect with a mental health provider with knowledge of their disease. As of May 2025, we list >180 providers from across Canada and anticipate that listings will grow over time as more providers are trained.

Third, we monitored progress and facilitated the success of projects funded through our inaugural Mental Health and T1D Community Grants program, a mechanism to catalyze the efforts of other organizations to develop new community-facing programs designed to support and improve mental health and wellness in the T1D community. The first grants awarded through this program are progressing well through their 18-month term, and updates will be provided upon their conclusion in late 2025.

Finally, we are pleased to share a new video series to share stories from our community: Beyond the Numbers: Real stories of navigating mental health with T1D. We will be sharing these videos throughout Mental Health Awareness Month and beyond, to help normalize the psychosocial problems, solutions, and wins that are part of daily life with T1D. Featuring 20 videos, this series addresses themes of Relationships and Social Support, Life Transitions, and Coping and Resilience.

Thank you to our community

Breakthrough T1D Canada remains enormously grateful for the support of our Mental Health Advisory Council, lead volunteers and philanthropic partners, including funding partners Brain Canada and Diabetes Canada, without whom our progress in this area would not be possible.

For more information on mental health supports, please visit the Directory at directory.breakthroughT1D.ca or our mental health resources page.

T1D community resources & events 
Web resources and blogs 

• Mental Health webpage 
• Breakthrough T1D peer support 
• Stigma and T1D  
• Hunt family inspires new mental health fund 
• Beyond the Numbers: Real stories of navigating mental health with T1D 
• Christine’s story of resilience and hope 

To mark the start of Mental Health Awareness Month, Breakthrough T1D Canada is excited to launch its new video series Beyond the Numbers: Real stories of navigating mental health with T1D that focuses on sharing the real stories of people living with type 1 diabetes (T1D).

The idea for the video series began in October 2023, when Breakthrough T1D was approached by multidisciplinary artists Michael Pivar and Peter Dreimanis with a vision: to capture real stories from people living with type 1 diabetes, exploring how T1D affects their mental health and emotional well-being. The concept was compelling—intimate interviews that didn’t shy away from the harder conversations, and that focused on lived experience, not clinical advice.

At the same time, Breakthrough T1D had just wrapped up a round of focus groups with Breakthrough T1D’s Mental Health Advisory Council who indicated that adults living with T1D were interested in video content from “people like them” about the day-to-day mental health/wellness concerns related to T1D.

Based on their feedback, three themes for this video series were identified:

• Relationships and Social Support 
• Life Transitions 
• Coping and Resilience 

Over the course of a year, five adults, Christine, Lujane, Meagan, Rodrigo, and Tracey—were interviewed. Their conversations touch on stigma, including changing the conversation around diabetes devices, disordered eating and diabulimia, relationship challenges, being diagnosed in adulthood, and their own personal coping strategies.

Each person shared openly and with vulnerability, with the hope that their stories might help others feel less alone. The goal was to normalize conversations around the mental health impacts of T1D and to shine a light on the emotional side of this often invisible illness—because the challenges are real, and deserve to be acknowledged.

Breakthrough T1D is extremely grateful to Christine, Lujane, Meagan, Rodrigo, and Tracey for their openness and willingness to share. We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Mike Pivar and Peter Dreimanis—without their creativity, dedication, and care, this project would not have been possible.

We hope that Beyond the Numbers not only sparks connection and empathy, but also inspires future dialogue—at home, in healthcare settings, and across the wider community.

You can watch their stories here.

For further resources, please visit the Directory where you can find mental health providers with specialized training in diabetes at directory.breakthroughT1D.ca or our mental health resources page.

National Volunteer Week takes place from April 27 – May 3, 2025, as organizations across the country celebrate those who generously donate their time and talents to their communities and for causes close to their heart. 

The National Volunteer Week theme for 2025 is Volunteers Make Waves. In the words of Volunteer Canada this theme:  Highlights the power, impact and importance of individual and collective volunteer efforts across Canada. Like a wave, volunteering is movement building.

Water is in constant motion, always flowing, shifting, and transforming with every powerful wave or quiet ripple. And so is each volunteer’s contribution toward creating impact in our communities.

Each individual volunteer contribution, big or small, creates momentum and has the power to influence and inspire, joining a wave of positive change.

This theme resonates throughout the story of Breakthrough T1D. We were founded by a group of devoted parents determined to find a cure for their children living with type 1 diabetes (T1D), and through their contributions, momentum continued to grow, creating tremendous progress in improving everyday life with T1d and bringing us ever closer to cures for this disease.

For the past three years, it has been our honour and privilege to celebrate our amazing volunteers and their support of the T1D community through our Annual Volunteer Awards.

In 2024 we were thrilled to recognize individuals, volunteer committees and corporate organizations who have demonstrated incredible commitment, devotion and heart in supporting our collective goal of a world one day free from T1D.

Our volunteers are the foundation of everything we do, and we are thrilled to share with you the 2024 Breakthrough T1D Canada Volunteer Award Winners.

Congratulations to all our Award Winners. To read more about them, please visit: https://www.flipsnack.com/jdrfaccelerate/nvw_2025_flipsnack_en/full-view.html

2024 Breakthrough T1D Canada Volunteer Awards

From years of burdensome insulin injections to the insulin pump that saved her life.

Lynn Cameron is a passionate advocate at Breakthrough T1D, fiercely pursuing positive change for Quebec’s type 1 diabetes (T1D) community, which desperately requires public coverage of T1D devices. Lynn has lived with this autoimmune disease for nearly 60 years, many of which she endured without access to the advanced technology she needed to thrive. Over the past five decades in her T1D journey, she has overcome countless obstacles, compounded by the burden of self-advocacy for the care she deserves.

Lynn is 63 years old, and due to Quebec’s age restriction on its public coverage (only available to those who enroll in the program under age 18 and are then covered for life), she and over 40,000 adults in her province do not qualify. This creates inequity among Quebecers living with T1D merely based on their age of diagnosis. No individual living with T1D should suffer because of their age or geographical location. That’s why Lynn continues to stand up for all those living with T1D, determined to ensure no one else goes through what she has. She hopes her story can help others and inspire critical change.

Lynn doesn’t remember life before type 1 diabetes. “It’s been so many years; I don’t count anymore. I don’t remember not being diabetic. I was young. The only thing I remember was the first insulin shot my father gave me,” she says.

In 1967, at the time of Lynn’s diagnosis, diabetes technology and care were vastly different than they are today. Insulin syringes were only available in whole-unit increments rather than half-units. This meant less control over how much insulin she could administer, leading to increased blood glucose fluctuations. The insulins also kept changing, and Lynn says she was allergic to one which is no longer on the market today. Dieticians were not part of diabetes care, even though carb counting and knowing how different foods impact blood glucose are essential for T1D management. All these factors made life with T1D difficult for Lynn.

“When I was diagnosed, I was told that you have to be careful about what you eat and have to be active and do everything correctly,” Lynn says, “I was always up and down [blood glucose levels], and it was not because I was not doing or watching what I was supposed to do.”

These challenges fluctuated over the years, after a difficult childhood, adjusting to life with T1D and undergoing heart surgery at the age of 10. As an adult, Lynn relished any opportunity to be active outdoors until diabetes complications started taking a toll on her health.

In 2012, Lynn began trying to get an insulin pump to improve her quality of life after enduring multiple daily injections (MDI) for 45 years. She tried hard to convince the RAMQ, Quebec’s government health insurance board, to cover pumps. It wasn’t until 2021, after nine years of self-advocating, that Lynn finally received her insulin pump, covered until December 2025—not by her own government but by donors to a hospital foundation.

“When I got the insulin pump, things did change so much, and I got better,” Lynn says. Since being on the insulin pump, her blood glucose levels have improved significantly.

Recently, this technology also allowed her to receive a second heart surgery, without which she would not be alive today. Doctors don’t always allow patients to wear insulin pumps during surgery, making this a significant step in diabetes care in Quebec. After waking up from the operation, Lynn was shocked to see her blood glucose stable. She asked the doctor what he did, and he said that the insulin pump, her external organ, did all the work. “That was a gift of life,” Lynn says, “because if I wouldn’t have been on the insulin pump, they wouldn’t have operated, and I wouldn’t be here.”

This is why advocating for access to life-saving devices is so close to Lynn’s heart. She says, “It’s 2025; it shouldn’t be like this. That’s why I’m doing what I can to work with Percée DT1 [Breakthrough T1D] and giving my time because of their mission. I think that insulin pumps will be temporary for about 10 years, and then probably there’s going to be a cure.”

Lynn’s incredible efforts include meeting with elected Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of the official opposition in Quebec to share her story and lobby for adult coverage of insulin pumps for herself—she refuses to return to MDIs when her funding expires—and thousands of other Quebecers. She communicated the burden of MDIs, such as requiring 21 needles every three days compared to one with the pump, and the increase in daily decisions, which can lead to more errors in T1D management. Lynn is voicing her right to live, letting the province know that this situation undermines her integrity and dignity. She also supported Breakthrough T1D’s letter-writing campaign, helping acquire signatures of support from local MNAs.

Lynn’s resilience, tenacity, and dedication to her community are inspiring. She hopes sharing her story and advocating for better coverage will help others living with T1D.

Breakthrough T1D donor funding has contributed to nearly every major T1D advancement in the last 50-plus years. Generous leadership donors who invest in our $100M Campaign to Accelerate help ensure future T1D discoveries while advancing vital efforts, like Lynn’s, to improve care for all those living with T1D.

To learn about how you can become part of this invaluable community of philanthropists driving impact for the T1D community, please contact:

Kim Lacombe 
Vice President, Philanthropy
klacombe@breakthroughT1D.ca
438-814-1668

There is much uncertainty in the world right now, with changes coming so frequently it can feel hard to stay completely informed.

However, Breakthrough T1D Canada can offer certainty that our Canadian-funded researchers are making incredible progress and breakthroughs in T1D research.

Now, more than ever, research is progressing at incredible speed, we can keep that momentum going here in Canada and continue investing in the scientific discoveries that will bring us closer to cures for T1D.

We know there will be questions about how these changes will affect the T1D community going forward, including concerns about potential disruptions to insulin deliveries, devices and other diabetes supplies. Please be assured that we are working hard to gather information as it becomes available, and that we will continue to be transparent and update the community as we learn more.

It’s been said that any challenge can also be an opportunity, and we are taking that approach at Breakthrough T1D Canada.

We have world-renowned T1D researchers working right here in Canada. Canada is where insulin and stem cells were discovered, and where the Edmonton Protocol was developed. And this is why we believe that a made in Canada cure for T1D can be discovered right here too.

We’re the largest charitable funder of T1D research in Canada, and every year thanks to donors, we’re able to give transformational grant funding to the projects that will deliver high impact rather than dispersing funds in small amounts amongst hundreds of small projects.

We work hard to honour those who choose to make investments in this research, by making donor dollars go further by leveraging them against existing partnerships we have such as the Breakthrough T1D-CIHR Partnership to Defeat Diabetes, and our partnerships with Brain Canada and Stem Cell Network Canada (SCN).

Our organization has played a role in nearly every major scientific breakthrough in T1D research in the last 50-plus years, giving us an incredible track record of success.

And we know none of this can happen without the support of our advocates and volunteers. That is why we advocate with the Canadian T1D community to all levels of government for equitable access to treatments and devices, research funding, health regulatory approvals, and more. During this federal election year, we are doubling down on these efforts, with volunteer advocates nationwide championing our shared mission with their local MPs through in-person meetings, letter-writing and social media campaigns.

Since 2019, our Access for All campaign has been advocating provincial governments for more equitable access to diabetes devices including insulins, insulin pumps and technologies like advanced glucose monitors. .

You can see the most up-to-date information on coverage here: https://breakthrought1d.ca/advocacy/access-for-all/coverage-map/

The Results of Our Research Funding

The results of how we invest donor dollars, and the impact of those investments speak for themselves:

Edmonton Protocol

• Dr. James Shapiro (Alberta) led the clinical team who developed the groundbreaking “Edmonton Protocol” for successful islet transplantation, first reported in 2000 and supported by Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF). Canada is one of the few countries in the world where clinical islet transplantation is available outside of a research setting.

Disease Modifying Therapies

• We invest in research around disease-modifying therapies – therapies that slow or stop the disease, rather than just treating the symptoms.
  • For example, Dr. Jan Dutz (BC) is leading a clinical trial to test whether a biologic drug called ustekinumab (known on the market as Stelara) in adults with newly diagnosed with T1D can protect insulin-producing beta cells, stopping T1D in its tracks.
  • Breakthrough T1D donors contributed to research into the development of Tzield, the first disease-modifying therapy approved for T1D in the USA.

Beta-Cell Replacement

• In the early 2000s, Breakthrough T1D started making substantial investments into beta cell replacement research to help the field develop approaches to replace insulin-producing cells lost in people with T1D.
• Dr. Timothy Kieffer (British Columbia) was one of the first researchers in the world to show in 2014 that human stem cells can be differentiated into glucose-responsive insulin-producing cells. The procedure these researchers developed set the stage for clinical trials now in progress.
• Advancements in stem cell-based therapies for T1D are continuing here in Canada. Vertex trials have thus far reported reduced insulin requirements in several trial participants, including three who are off insulin entirely, and no safety concerns.

By the Numbers

• Breakthrough T1D Canada is committed to driving research excellence forward for everyone, everywhere living with T1D:
• 70 active research grants in Canada
• 10 Breakthrough T1D-funded clinical trials active in Canada
• $10M to T1D research in Canada in 2024
• Approximately 500 mental health providers completed our Mental Health + Diabetes training program to improve access to these services for people living with T1D

We know that research works

The transformational breakthroughs Breakthrough T1D has helped fund—including diagnostics, medications and devices—are now helping people with T1D live longer, healthier lives. In the last 50 years of progress, 25 years have been added to the lifespan of a person receiving the latest care in Canada.

Together with our Canadian T1D community, we will remain strong

Canada continues to play a leading role in changing the landscape of T1D research, globally. We want to continue to shine the spotlight on Canadian-led research and our advocacy work to make sure those living with T1D are not forgotten or left behind.

We are incredibly grateful to our donors who continue to support this critical work in these uncertain times. It is crucial that we remain steadfast in our investment in groundbreaking Canadian T1D research today and ensure the pace of progress isn’t slowed down.

We are all in this together.

Dr. Mahla Poudineh (University of Waterloo), in collaboration with Dr. Leyla Soleymani (McMaster University), is developing a wearable continuous ketone monitor, which can indicate a life-threatening condition called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This device combines novel biology (ketone measurement) with novel engineering (hydrogel microneedles) to produce a groundbreaking new device – the Wearable Aptalyzer.

Biology: Similar to a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), this device will detect biomarkers from the interstitial fluid under the skin. Dr. Poudineh and her team are calibrating the device to recognize and measure real-time ketone levels, something that can currently only be done using urine testing.

Engineering: Dr. Poudineh’s one-centimeter patch provides a wearable solution that enables real-time continuous biomarker monitoring without the discomfort associated with current canula insertion methods. Her patented patch consists of 100 hydrogel “soft microneedles” placed on the skin like a bandage. The microneedles push into the skin just a few millimeters which allows them to touch interstitial fluid and swell to increase surface area.  

Together, Dr. Poudineh and Dr. Soleymani have created a company – Aptec – to commercialize this technology and bring it to those living with T1D.

Dr. Poudineh’s microneedle patch

New Grant: We are excited to announce a second Breakthrough T1D grant for this dynamic team that will expand their work to develop a continuous insulin monitor via the same methods. This would allow people with T1D to have real-time measures of insulin in their system, often known as “insulin on board”, and better adjust against upcoming meals or activities.

Watch here to learn more:  https://www.linkedin.com/posts/uwaterloo_painless-diabetes-patch-to-replace-needle-activity-7306675563232907265-l1BV?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAA2JPFsBifZfTB213DnRbGd_UixBgd0NReg

Breakthrough T1D Canada congratulates Drs. Poudineh and Soleymani on their recent achievements.

Dr. Mahla Poudineh is making big waves in the medical devices field and was recently named a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Health Monitoring BioNano Devices.

Dr. Leyla Soleymani holds a Canada Research Chair in Miniaturized Biomedical Devices and was recently awarded the prestigious Dorothy Killam Fellowship.

Their work will help significantly improve daily living with T1D, while we work towards cures.

A large area of cure-based T1D research is investigating stem cell-based therapy. The goal of this approach is to use stem cells as a renewable source of insulin-producing cells which, when transplanted, would replace beta cells that are destroyed in a person with T1D, thereby allowing them to produce insulin again. This would lessen or eliminate the amount of external insulin required by someone living with T1D (either by injection, pen, or pump) for months or even decades. 

Vertex had two active clinical trials for type 1 diabetes cell therapy: VX-880 (FORWARD) and VX-264 (UPWARD). On Friday, Vertex published a press release with updates on its type 1 diabetes (T1D) products.  

After review, Vertex will not be moving forward with the clinical development program for VX-264. VX-264 was Vertex’s encapsulated islet cell therapy that does not require immunosuppressive drugs. And while it was generally safe and well-tolerated in clinical trials, it did not meet the efficacy endpoint as measured by C-peptide, a biomarker for insulin levels. What this means is that implanted cells were not producing enough insulin to warrant moving forward with further trials. Currently, C-peptide is our best measurement for determining if insulin is being produced in humans. 

In VX-264, the insulin-producing cells were placed in a protective device and then implanted into the body. Analysis of the encapsulation devices is ongoing and may inform future strategies and approaches. 

The VX-880 product has been renamed to zimislecel.  This trial is continuing as planned, and regulatory submission is expected in 2026. The Phase 1/2/3 pivotal trial for zimislecel is continuing and on schedule for enrollment and dosing. Zimislecel is Vertex’s cell therapy for individuals with severe hypoglycemic (low blood glucose) events. It requires the use of immunosuppressives. 

Results from the ongoing trial with VX-880 have demonstrated promising efficacy and safety in all people who received the treatment. Vertex has been working closely with regulators around the world to prepare for submission and is expanding its manufacturing and commercial capabilities to ensure they are prepared for the launch of the drug. 

Vertex remains committed to pursuing therapies that could provide “transformational benefits” to the T1D community and is looking at other ways to keep cells safe without the use of standard immunosuppression. These include alternative immunosuppressive regimens, gene-edited hypo-immune manufactured islet cell therapies, and novel devices to encapsulate islet cells.   

There is still currently no manufactured cell therapy that is approved for people with T1D. But it is very encouraging that Vertex is preparing to submit for regulatory approval next calendar year and getting ready for the commercial launch. 

Developing cell therapies that restore insulin production without the use of standard immune suppression is the focus of Breakthrough T1D’s cell therapies portfolio and is a key focus of our funding strategy.  

The discontinuation of VX-264 emphasizes the importance of Breakthrough T1D’s global approach to pursuing multiple strategies to keep cells safe without traditional immune suppression, including those that Vertex is employing. 

What does this mean for Canadians with T1D? 

For cell therapy to be broadly accessible to people with T1D, the cell product needs to both work and function without or with minimal immunosuppressive therapies. Part of the research process is pivoting and adjusting based on results and moving in new directions to achieve the end goal – in this case – cell therapies that are safe, well-tolerated and ideally don’t require immune suppression.  

Breakthrough T1D Canada will continue to monitor results and provide updates as they are made public. 

On March 27, 2025 Diabetes Canada released updated Clinical Practice Guidelines for the glycemic management across the lifespan for people with type 1 diabetes.

What are clinical practice guidelines and what do they mean for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D)?

Clinical guidelines are the guiding principles for health care practitioners to stay up to date on best practices in the management and care of people living with all diseases, including type 1 diabetes. As research advances, both in the medication and device landscape, clinicians and experts in the diabetes field meet to discuss the best available evidence and to craft or update the guidelines so that care is optimized.

Knowing your diabetes goals in the context of your life and your circumstances is the first step in deciding upon treatment options with your care team. As you manage your T1D, or the T1D of your family member, it is important to remember that your glycemic targets should be designed to fit into your life, and that conversations with your healthcare provider will help you understand the risks, benefits and considerations of all available treatment options.

This month’s updated guidelines, the first comprehensive update since 2018, are noteworthy because not only do they focus on managing one’s glucose levels across the lifespan, recognizing that children, teens and adults can all have T1D, they also include two exciting and important updates.

What are the new updates and what is their impact on Canadians living with T1D?

An AID system is a device that automatically adjusts insulin delivery based on blood glucose levels, measured from an accompanying paired glucose monitoring device. It’s also been called an artificial pancreas or hybrid closed-loop system, but AID is the preferred clinical terminology,

The updated guidelines now recommend that insulin be delivered ideally by an insulin pump integrated with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) (AID) and that these devices be offered to all individuals with T1D, provided they are willing to wear the device and operate it:

Automated insulin delivery (AID) systems (insulin pump and connected continuous glucose monitor) are the preferred treatment method for all individuals to optimize glycemia and/or person-related outcomes, provided the individual is willing and able to wear and operate the devices.

The paradigm shift here is important, as previously the belief was that only those individuals who have met their glucose targets would benefit from this advanced technology. AID systems are beneficial for diverse individuals, regardless of their baseline, or starting glucose levels, and their age or socio-economic status for example. In other words, we need to change the thinking that implies a person with T1D needs to ‘earn’ an AID through already relatively stable management.

AIDs have been shown to keep glucose levels stable and in better range, while also improving sleep and reducing the burden of daily diabetes management (from reducing the fear of hypoglycemia, diabetes distress and improving overall quality of life).

Adjunct therapies for people with T1D

The second noteworthy recommendation is the first of its kind worldwide – adjunctive therapies may now be considered in adults with T1D, based on shared decision-making with the care provider. There is substantial research that has demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of these non-insulin agents such as metformin, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA) or sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), or what you may know as Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1 agonists, in type 1 diabetes to lower A1c, body weight and insulin doses, when added to insulin. 

It is important to recognize individual autonomy of people living with T1D and although this recommendation is not a strong treatment recommendation, as the authors suggest, it is a conditional recommendation that allows for people with T1D to consider their individual health goals and to advocate for treatments that work best for them:

In adults, adjunctive therapy, such as metformin, glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RA) or sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors (SGLT2i), may be considered in addition to insulin to meet individual treatment goals while employing strategies to support safety, efficacy, and tolerability of these medications.

Breakthrough T1D Canada is pleased to see these updated clinical guidelines that will empower people living with T1D  to have important conversations with their healthcare provider(s) to discuss the best options for their care. We will continue to advocate for  coverage of these therapies and devices so that everyone has access to  the treatments and devices that meet their individual health needs.

Patient choice is paramount for diabetes devices, treatments, insulins and insulin administration, as such, Breakthrough T1D will continue to advocate and work with the T1D community to ensure better access, affordability and choice for all Canadians living with T1D.

If you would like to learn more about the updated guidelines, automated insulin delivery devices or adjunctive therapies, please speak to your diabetes health care provider.

Image reproduced in its entirety from Halperin, Wicklow, Amed, et al., on behalf of the Diabetes Canada Clinical Practice Guidelines Steering Committee (2025) Canadian Journal of Diabetes; 49, 5-18. https://www.canadianjournalofdiabetes.com/article/S1499-2671(25)00001-2/fulltext