My Diabetes My Way: March 2026 update


Welcome to the My Diabetes My Way newsletter for March 2026.

The snowdrops are out and the weather is starting to feel more Spring-like. This month there are lots of health awareness days to encourage us all to live well.


International Women’s Day
March 8th was International Women’s Day. According to the latest Scottish Diabetes Survey, 45% of people with Type 1 diabetes and 44% with Type 2 diabetes are women. The theme of International Women’s Day this year was gender equality, to ensure that all patients are having equal care for their diabetes. A woman with Diabetes has the added complication of fluctuating hormone levels which affect blood sugars and insulin resistance. This may require more complex treatment based on monthly menstrual cycles. Women can also develop diabetes in pregnancy (Gestational Diabetes) so need to take extra care. We have lots of information on our website which can be accessed from the following links:

 

National No Smoking Day
March 11th was National No Smoking Day. Smoking is very harmful to your heart. It significantly increases your risk of developing heart and circulatory disease and having diabetes adds to this risk even more. It makes a huge difference to improving your health by stopping smoking. Your GP can provide lots of help with this and we have lots of information about smoking and vaping on our website, The links are below:

 

World Kidney Day
March 12th is World Kidney Day. This is an annual campaign to help raise awareness of kidneys and show the impact when they don’t work properly. It also aims to educate people on what kidneys do, the symptoms of kidney disease and how to improve your kidney health. More than one million people in the UK have kidney disease but don’t know it. Kidney disease is a known complication of diabetes so it is essential to have your kidney function checked at least annually, usually with a blood and urine sample. There is more information about diabetes and kidney disease on the website at the following links:

 

World Sleep Day
March 13th is World Sleep Day and is an annual event organised by the World Sleep Society to raise awareness about the importance of healthy sleep and its impact on physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Getting enough quality sleep is important for good health and wellbeing. For people living with diabetes, sleep problems can be common. And getting a good night’s rest can be easier said than done.

Changes in your blood sugar levels can play their part in disrupting sleep, and diabetes complications such as neuropathy (nerve damage) and foot pain can also make it hard to sleep. Low blood sugars can disrupt sleep and necessitate getting up to eat during the night to prevent hypoglycaemia and high blood sugars can mean that sleep is interrupted by the need to get up to go to the toilet several times. There is more information about diabetes and sleep on our website at the following link:
https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/resources/external/diabetes-and-sleep/


Oral Health Day
Finally, March 30th is World Oral Health Day. The day encourages individuals, communities and dental professionals to unite in reducing the burden of oral diseases, which can personal wellbeing. Oral diseases are linked to pain, discomfort, social isolation and conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. High blood sugars can increase the risk of gum disease which can then become an infection. Regular brushing and flossing is essential to maintain a healthy mouth. More details can be found at the following links:

 

Free Online Course – Preventing Cardiovascular Disease
My Way Digital Health are running a free course this month on Preventing Cardiovascular Disease on Wednesday 18th March. The course includes a Live Q&A session at 6pm on the 18th March and involves learning about the following topics:
Learn how to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease through healthy lifestyle choices and early detection.
Understand key risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and inactivity.
Gain practical strategies for healthy eating, regular exercise, stress management, and medication adherence to support long-term cardiovascular health.

You can register for the course for free at https://preventcvd.com/


Facebook, X and Bluesky
Please remember, you can keep up-to-date with the latest news and useful information on the My Diabetes My Way Facebook, X and Bluesky pages.


Help and Support
If you have not yet managed to gain access to your diabetes records on My Diabetes My Way, or would like an update on the status of your registration, please let us know. You can contact us regarding any problems or request further help and support by emailing: mydiabetes.myway@nhs.scot

 

Thank you for your continued support.

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