Top Diabetes News: ATTD 2026

Diabetes Technology News

Fully Closed Loop AID Could Simplify Meals for People With Type 2

For people with type 2 diabetes who use insulin, automated insulin delivery (AID) systems can help make diabetes management easier. But even with AID, meals require decision-making – including counting carbs, announcing food, and timing insulin.

At this week’s ATTD conference, a small study from New Zealand explored how people with type 2 diabetes fared when they tried an AID system that handled those decisions automatically.

Those who went from insulin injections to an experimental version of the Omnipod 5 in this automatic mode, called fully closed loop, spent 68% of time in range (70-180 mg/dL), up from 44% during standard therapy. People in the study did not announce meals or give boluses, and time below range remained very low. A time in range of 70% is often used as a target for reducing the risk of diabetes complications. Those who used the fully closed loop version of the system actually saw slightly better results than those who announced meals.

💡 Why it matters: Systems that can achieve good results without meal announcements or manually delivering insulin could reduce the everyday burden of blood sugar management and make AID more practical for people who want to think less about diabetes at mealtimes. 

MiniMed AID System Performs Well With New Instinct Sensor

Last year, Abbott introduced the Instinct sensor, a 15-day continuous glucose monitor (CGM) designed for the MiniMed 780G automatic insulin delivery (AID) system. It’s the smallest of the four CGMs that are compatible with this AID system.

New research showed that people who used the Instinct sensor with the recommended settings spent nearly 80% of their time in range. Moreover, people who switched from the Guardian 4 sensor, a larger, weeklong CGM option, to the Instinct spent 2% more time in range. Researchers attributed this uptick to the fact that people using the Instinct ended up leaving their AID system in Auto Mode for more time. This suggests that the AID algorithm, rather than the specific sensor being used, is the main driver of the system’s success.

💡 Why it matters: Research has shown that algorithmic AID systems help people spend more time in range. This study suggests that the Instinct sensor may make it easier for people who use the MiniMed 780G to take full advantage of the system’s algorithm.

Tired of Doing Math? App May Help With Insulin Dosing

Although the use of automated insulin pumps is growing, many people with diabetes rely on multiple daily insulin injections (MDI). While people can manage their blood sugar this way, the constant decision-making involved in choosing the right dose at the right time may cause stress and create the potential for errors.

DreaMed is an FDA-approved app to help people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes on MDI with insulin dosing. It collects data from a person’s CGM and offers recommendations for daily and weekly insulin doses that are reviewed by a healthcare provider.

Results from a new study were presented at ATTD on people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes taking insulin injections who tried out DreaMed for 10 weeks. Data showed improved CGM metrics – the average time in range went up by 9.5% among those following the app’s recommendations. Participants reported satisfaction with the app and said it increased their confidence.

💡 Why it matters: For people using MDI, apps like DreaMed allow remote collaboration between healthcare providers and patients, reduce the mental burden, and can make decision-making around insulin dosing easier.

Could Artificial 'Twins' Transform Diabetes Care?

Automated insulin delivery (AID) systems perform a lot of the work of diabetes management, but they require settings adjustments to figure out what works best for meals, corrections, and daily routines.

In the opening session of ATTD, Boris Kovatchev, a mathematics professor and director of the UVA Center for Diabetes Technology, talked about how AI can be used to make that process easier. He explained how a “digital twin,” or a virtual version of a person’s diabetes data, can test pump-setting changes before they're applied in real life.

Kovatchev discussed a small study of 72 experienced AID users and found that when this interactive digital twin system was added, time in range increased from 72% to 77%. The biggest benefit was seen in people starting with an A1C above 7%.

He also explored how, in the future, AI could help fully automate insulin delivery, including mealtime dosing without requiring people to announce meals. Early research points to the possibility of these systems, but they're still in the early stages of development.

💡 Why it matters: This research shows people may get better results when AID systems are adjusted to fit their needs, instead of asking them to adapt to the system. A digital twin could make that process safer and easier by testing changes before they are used in real life, with less guesswork and trial and error.

The Dangers of Artificial Intelligence for Diabetes Management 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed the speed and ease with which people can access health information. Advanced AI systems like ChatGPT may seem particularly helpful for things like carb counting and analyzing CGM and insulin pump data, but that doesn’t always mean it’s reliable – and could even be dangerous.

A breakdown of the research around the accuracy of AI systems for carb counting and insulin dosing presented at ATTD showed potentially dangerous inconsistencies. One study found that for carb counting, 95% of the time AI can correctly identify pictures of simple food items, but when it comes to more complex meals (for example, lasagna), AI models like ChatGPT were correct only 43% of the time. 

Another small study comparing the accuracy of carb counting between AI models and human dietitians found that dietitians were by far the safest option. Here is the error rate for dangerous overestimations of carbs (by 20 grams or more) that directly led to severe hypoglycemia:

• Dietitians, 3%
• ChatGPT, 13%
• Claude, 17%
• Gemini, 38%

Overestimating carbs can be dangerous, as it leads to insulin dosing errors and increases the risk of hypoglycemia. Experts advised that people with type 1 using AI to aid with diabetes management talk to a healthcare provider before making any adjustments to their treatment plan.

💡 Why it matters: AI is getting smarter every day with newer, more complex models, but experts argue it’s still not a replacement for the expert human judgment needed for aspects of diabetes management like safely counting carbs and setting insulin pump parameters. AI might sound smart and appear to make recommendations that make sense, but it often misses or misinterprets data, which could lead to insulin dosing errors. There’s no arguing that AI can drastically reduce the cognitive burden of type 1 management, but experts agree that right now, it’s not 100% ready for prime time, and getting a second (human) opinion is critical.

Closer to a Cure: Advances in Cell Therapy

First-In-Human Islet Transplant Still Making Insulin at 14 Months

Transplants using insulin-producing cells allow people with type 1 diabetes to produce their own insulin, but most existing therapies require taking immunosuppressant drugs for life.

However, early research suggests that a new type of gene-edited donor islet cells can survive and keep working in a person with type 1 diabetes, without the need for immunosuppressive drugs. Developed by Sana Biotechnology, modified insulin-producing cells were transplanted into the forearm muscle of a man with long-standing type 1 diabetes. His immune system did not reject the cells, and he began producing insulin.

Data showed that at 14 months, the man's C-peptide levels (a measure of a person’s ability to produce insulin) were comparable to those seen in the first six months, and were higher than at months nine and 12. No safety issues were identified. Sana is now planning a study of a new therapy in development, called SC451, which uses the same gene-editing strategy with lab-grown, stem-cell-derived insulin-producing cells. 

💡 Why it matters: This is an early, but important sign that cell replacement therapy could one day work without the need for lifelong immune-suppressing drugs, which have safety risks. Experts caution that this is only one person and the dose used was intentionally low (about 2% to 7% of what would be needed) to evaluate the safety of this technique, so more testing will be necessary to see if it can provide long-term insulin independence and stable glucose levels.

Early Trial Testing Gene Therapy for Type 1 Diabetes To Start Later This Year

Although automatic insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) have made it easier to manage type 1 diabetes, these technologies cannot completely eliminate the risk of serious complications and emergencies.

Researchers are continuing to develop therapies that could one day serve as a cure. There are several approaches at different stages of development. The most well-known is islet cell therapy, which has helped thousands of people live free of external insulin, but there’s a very limited donor supply, and existing therapies require taking lifelong immunosuppression drugs.

At ATTD, research was presented on KRIYA-839, a new gene therapy approach, so far only tested in animals, that introduces an engineered virus carrying the gene for insulin into muscle cells. This treatment aims to enable the body to produce insulin on its own, without the need for ongoing immunosuppression. Kriya Therapeutics is planning to launch its first human trial later this year.

💡 Why it matters: At this point, it’s not clear what treatment could become the most effective and accessible cure for type 1 diabetes. While still early, this shows how researchers are exploring ways to replace insulin injections, not just improve them.

The Latest on Diabetes Treatments

Trial Shows Ozempic Can Help People with Type 1 Diabetes

Ozempic (semaglutide) and other GLP-1 medications are an effective treatment option for managing blood sugar and body weight. These drugs have been officially approved for people with type 2 diabetes, but GLP-1s could offer benefits for many people with type 1 diabetes who also have obesity and related health issues.

Researchers at ATTD presented the results of a small, seven-month study assessing the effectiveness of semaglutide for people with type 1 diabetes and obesity. During the trial, 36% of participants taking semaglutide spent more than 70% of their time in range, less than 4% of their time below range, and lost more than 5% of their body weight compared to those not taking semaglutide.

Treatment with semaglutide was also associated with reductions in cholesterol and blood pressure. Based on all of these changes, the researchers calculated that the participants who received semaglutide had significantly reduced their risk of heart disease over the next 10 years.

💡 Why it matters: Longer studies are necessary to confirm that people with type 1 diabetes get the same long-term heart and kidney health benefits from GLP-1s as people with type 2 diabetes, but this trial offers evidence that medications like Ozempic can help people with type 1 diabetes safely and effectively manage their body weight and blood sugar.

Starting Mounjaro Early May Be Best Option for People With Type 2

Mounjaro (tirzepatide), a GLP-1/GIP medication, can help people with diabetes manage their blood sugar and body weight. It’s often prescribed after other, less expensive options have proven unsuccessful.

However, new research shows it may be a good idea to start Mounjaro earlier in people with type 2 diabetes. A study presented at ATTD compared Mounjaro to other treatment options for people with type 2 who didn’t see success with metformin and were within four years of diagnosis. After two years of treatment, 69% of people who started Mounjaro had A1C values below 5.7%, and 49% lost at least 15% of their body weight. In contrast, only 27% of people who tried other treatment options reached that A1C value, and 13% experienced that much weight loss.

💡 Why it matters: This study suggests that starting Mounjaro right away, rather than waiting until other treatment options have been exhausted, may be the best available option for many people with type 2 diabetes trying to manage their blood sugar and body weight.  

The Link Between Jardiance and Ketone Levels

Jardiance (empagliflozin) is a medication that can help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar. Some evidence has shown that it can similarly help people with type 1 diabetes, but it has also been linked to diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

Researchers in Canada are currently trying to make sense of this link and see if lower doses of Jardiance may be safer and still effective for people with difficult-to-manage type 1 diabetes. In a small, two-week trial, taking either a quarter or a half of the lowest available Jardiance dose helped participants reach 70% time in range.

Now, researchers are wrapping up a six-month trial where participants wore a ketone monitor in addition to a glucose monitor. Preliminary study results show that it wasn’t uncommon for participants to experience short periods of high ketone levels that did not cause symptoms. Based on this, the researchers are taking an initial stab at developing guidelines for what might be considered an acceptable change in ketone levels for people with type 1 diabetes taking Jardiance.

💡 Why it matters: Many people with type 1 diabetes have trouble managing their blood sugar with insulin alone. While some of the treatments that work for type 2 diabetes could help, the two diseases are different – it’s essential that safety standards account for these differences.

People With Type 1 Diabetes Are Using GLP-1s More 

There is a lot of evidence showing that GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro can help people with type 2 diabetes avoid complications like heart, kidney, and liver disease. There’s less evidence for people with type 1 diabetes because drug developers have been more hesitant to run trials due to safety risks like diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

Nevertheless, many people with type 1 diabetes take GLP-1 drugs off-label. Researchers looked at U.S. medical records to see how widespread this has become and shared their preliminary findings at ATTD.

Since 2020, prescriptions of GLP-1 medications have grown exponentially for adults with type 1 diabetes between the ages of 18 and 85. People who started on one of these drugs achieved modest reductions in A1C values and significant reductions in body weight, especially when taking Ozempic or Mounjaro. Now, researchers are analyzing the data to see how GLP-1 drugs may protect against heart, kidney, and liver disease in people with type 1 diabetes.

💡 Why it matters: Real-world evidence like this sheds insight on how people with type 1 diabetes are currently using GLP-1 drugs and helps make the case for more studies to determine the full benefits and risks of GLP-1s for people with type 1.

Updates: Risk Reduction and Diabetes Management Tips

Ketone Monitoring Could Significantly Reduce DKA Risks

Many cases of type 1 diabetes are diagnosed after a person has gone into diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a potentially life-threatening emergency marked by extremely high blood sugar levels that requires immediate medical attention.

A large new study of nearly 660,000 people in the U.K. found that over the last 23 years, the rates of DKA have risen sharply among people with diabetes. Though DKA is traditionally seen in people with type 1 diabetes, the study noted nearly a sixfold increase in DKA in people with type 2 diabetes. The data also found a high DKA recurrence rate, with nearly 32% of people with type 1 and 12% of people with type 2 having multiple DKA events.

Ketone tests using fingerpricks are highly effective in preventing DKA, but other new data from France and the U.S. found that blood ketone testing among people with diabetes is infrequently done, and healthcare providers report a lack of knowledge on ketone monitoring. Earlier this year, new international guidelines were published with recommendations for continuous ketone monitoring, which could significantly improve outcomes for people at risk of DKA. Abbott recently submitted a continuous dual glucose-ketone monitor to the FDA for clearance – if approved, it could be available in the U.S. later this year.

💡 Why it matters: Traditionally, ketones are measured using a urine test or with a blood ketone meter. Diabetes management is already a full-time job, and new technology like a DGK monitor could ease the burden of manual ketone testing. In addition, continuous tracking of ketones could help people catch early signs of DKA and euglycemic DKA, an uncommon but dangerous type of DKA associated with SGLT-2 inhibitors, where blood sugar levels are usually not very high.  

Protein May Prevent Low Blood Sugar During Exercise

Exercise is an essential part of diabetes management, but for people with type 1 diabetes, one of the biggest barriers is a fear of hypoglycemia. Even when using AID systems and the latest expert recommendations on exercise, studies find that more than 10% of people still experience low blood sugar events during physical activity.

Protein is known to stimulate the release of glucagon, a hormone that counteracts hypoglycemia, but there hasn’t been much research on protein as a tool to prevent lows. Several small new studies have shown that ingesting whey protein before exercise significantly increased glucagon release, in turn increasing blood sugar levels. Both high and low doses of whey protein before exercise were effective, significantly reducing the risk of hypoglycemia by five to 10 times.

Researchers noted that the body’s response to protein was rapid (within 20 minutes), which suggests taking it close to the beginning of exercise could be beneficial for preventing hypoglycemia. Though more research is needed, there was also evidence showing protein intake could be beneficial for prolonged fasting (for example, during Ramadan) and preventing overnight lows.

💡 Why it matters: Though these studies are small, researchers emphasized that protein could be a practical, untapped tool for people with type 1 diabetes to prevent hypoglycemia during exercise. Unlike new treatments and therapies that take years to study and get approved, protein is an easily accessible commercial product you can find at any local supermarket or health food store.  

Weight Care in Type 1 Needs a Balanced Approach

More than half of people with type 1 diabetes live with overweight or obesity. Weight management with diabetes can be especially challenging because insulin can frequently contribute to weight gain. Changes in food or exercise often require insulin adjustments to avoid hypoglycemia, and treating lows can mean extra calories.

A session at ATTD highlighted that weight management in type 1 diabetes is not just about treating obesity plus diabetes. For example, injected insulin can expose muscle and fat tissue to more insulin than they would naturally receive, which may worsen insulin resistance and heart health. Researchers suggested starting weight management treatment with lifestyle support, then adding tools that fit type 1 more safely – especially automated insulin delivery and, when appropriate, GLP-1 therapies off-label with careful insulin adjustments.

The session also stressed that these medications are not enough on their own and should be combined with guidance on nutrition and physical activity, as well as ongoing monitoring to protect against muscle loss and worsening heart and bone health. Researchers said that obesity care should also avoid blame and stigma, and be treated as long-term, whole-person care rather than a willpower problem.

💡 Why it matters: Weight management for people with type 1 diabetes needs to be built around the realities of living with diabetes – avoiding glucose highs and lows, adjusting insulin safely, protecting muscles, healthy nutrition, and offering care that's supportive rather than shaming.  

Beliefs Around Lows May Increase Risk For People With Type 2 Diabetes

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) can affect anyone who takes insulin, but historically, there hasn’t been as much information about lows in people with type 2 diabetes.

At ATTD, results were presented from a recently published study on risk factors for hypoglycemia among people who use continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and insulin to manage type 2 diabetes. Even using a CGM, this group had a higher risk for serious low blood sugar events. Beliefs around hypoglycemia, such as prioritizing avoiding high blood sugar or normalizing lows that didn’t cause any symptoms, were found to contribute to an increased risk.

💡 Why it matters: CGM helps people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar, but they do not eliminate the risk of lows for those who take insulin. This research indicates that psychological factors and beliefs around hypoglycemia may impact the risk of serious low blood sugar. It’s important to treat hypoglycemia as a serious concern and talk to your healthcare providers and support networks about strategies for avoiding it.

Join Study Testing Ways To Improve Hypoglycemia Awareness

Automated insulin delivery (AID) systems include glucose monitors that show when blood sugar goes low. These dips can be quite frightening for people with diabetes, as well as their loved ones and caregivers. Results from a survey of adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their parents found that the parents, who were particularly worried about nighttime hypoglycemia, reported trouble sleeping, although this was less common for parents whose children started on AID systems soon after diagnosis.

However, some people taking insulin do not experience symptoms when they go low. For them, lows are just dips on their CGM readout that they otherwise wouldn’t have known about. Consequently, lows might not be treated properly, which can raise the risk for severe hypoglycemia events that require hospitalization.

Right now, the CLEAR study (Closed Loop and Education for Hypoglycemia Awareness Restoration) is recruiting adults with type 1 diabetes ages 18 to 75 years in the U.S., U.K., and Australia who have impaired awareness of hypoglycemia. The study began in October 2025 and will conclude in 2029, and is open to both people who are using an AID system and people who are not.

Participants will either continue with their current diabetes management or receive a technological upgrade, and some will participate in a single training session designed to reinforce the importance of avoiding lows. At the end of the first year, some participants whose impaired hypoglycemia awareness has not improved will be enrolled in a six-week training program designed to help people overcome psychological barriers and regain awareness of hypoglycemia.

💡 Why it matters: This study is testing the effectiveness of a solution designed to be practical and accessible in improving low blood sugar awareness and reducing the risk of severe hypoglycemia.

Widespread Screening Could Shift How Type 1 Diabetes Is Diagnosed

Most people with type 1 diabetes are diagnosed after symptoms appear. Many also experience diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis, a serious complication when insulin levels are too low.

At ATTD, international researchers shared what population-wide screening looks like in the real world. These screening programs test for diabetes-related autoantibodies, which can show up years before insulin is needed. The goal is to find people in the early stages of type 1 diabetes to lower the risk of DKA at diagnosis and create a path to therapies like Tzield that delay progression. Another big reason to consider wider screening: About 85% of people newly diagnosed with type 1 do not have a family history of diabetes.

Italy has been the first country to mandate screening children for type 1 diabetes through a national law. Researchers at ATTD shared that the European EDENT1FI project has now screened for early-stage type 1 diabetes in more than 100,000 children across 13 countries, with a goal of screening 200,000 children.

Researchers are also studying at what age it's most effective to screen; antibody prevalence was shown to increase between ages 2 and 10. In Israel, researchers described both general population screening in young children and a separate program focused on family members of people with type 1. Early findings suggest these programs can reduce cases of DKA and other symptoms, as well as shorten time in the hospital after diagnosis. Earlier diagnosis can also preserve beta cell function, offering the possibility to delay the onset of type 1.

Experts also highlighted the need to consider how screening results are communicated and the importance of supporting families after diagnosis of early-stage type 1 diabetes. Families need reliable information, emotional support, and help avoiding misinformation or unproven self-treatment strategies.

💡 Why it matters: Population-wide screening could help shift type 1 diabetes from a diagnosis made in crisis to one managed proactively. The research presented suggests that large-scale screening is feasible. Making screening part of routine care will depend on ensuring accurate testing, family education and support, as well as sustainable follow-up systems.