My Diabetes My Way: November 2026 update
Welcome to the My Diabetes My Way newsletter for November 2026.
World Diabetes Day 2026
November 14th is World Diabetes Day. This international event raises awareness of diabetes, its risk factors and the importance of early diagnosis and effective management. The theme this year focuses on early diagnosis and action to reduce the risks caused by diabetes. More than 40% of people living with diabetes across the globe are undiagnosed. Without a diagnosis, people living with diabetes may not be able to access the care, treatment and support they need to manage their diabetes and live healthy lives. You can read more about the campaign at the following link:
https://worlddiabetesday.org/
Movember 2026
November has become well known in recent years as being associated with Movember. The purpose of Movember is to focus on growing a moustache to raise awareness of men’s health. It often signifies awareness of male cancers, such as prostate or testicular cancer, but its purpose is also to encourage men to seek help for any physical or mental issues and decrease the stigma of talking about any health challenges you are facing.
One of the ways that you can help to improve your health is by ensuring that all of your annual diabetes checks are up to date. Ensuring that your bloods and urine sample have been checked in the last 12 months is the first step to improving your diabetes control. You can view these results when you log in to access your data on My Diabetes My Way. It is really important that you supply your healthcare team with a urine sample, preferably a first morning urine, when you go for your annual check as this test is crucial to look at your kidney function.
The second step is acting on your blood and urine test results if they are not in your individualised target range. Healthcare teams have specific values that they target for the population as a whole, but each person may have a personal target which is dependent on factors such as age and other medical conditions.
You may need to be proactive in seeking advice from your health care team if the blood and urine sample results are not in the normal range for you. This may mean a change in treatment or a fresh look at your diet and exercise. Foot and eye screening are carried out at intervals dependent on the risk of complications, but everyone should know what the red flags are and to seek medical advice if any occur.
If you have mental health issues, you should seek help from a relevant professional or join a local talking group should as Andy’s Man Club:
https://andysmanclub.co.uk/
There is more information on Movember at the link below:
https://movember.com/
National Self Care Week
November 16th-22nd is National Self Care week. This week is about promoting positive lifestyle choices such as healthy nutrition and regular exercise. Living with diabetes means that you have to prioritise self care as you manage your sugar levels on a daily basis. This can become difficult to do when life has many other stressors but keeping your diabetes under control now usually means fewer complications in the future. We have lots of information about living with a healthy lifestyle on our website at the following link:
https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/know-more/my-lifestyle/
Winter Vaccinations and Sick Day Rules
As winter approaches, many winter bugs start circulating so the advice is to get all the vaccinations that you are eligible for to try and minimise your risks of catching any of them and being ill. You should ensure that you have adequate supplies of your diabetes medications in case you are ill and cannot get out for a few days. If you have Type 1 diabetes, make sure that you have in-date ketone strips so that you can test for ketones if required. Everyone should be aware of their sick day rules, whether they have Type 1 or 2 diabetes and it’s a good idea to have these rules readily available.
For Type 1 diabetes, you should never stop taking your insulin and be aware of checking for ketones and taking appropriate additional doses of short-acting insulin. For Type 2 diabetes, there are certain medications that should not be taken when you are ill such as SGLT2 (Empagliflozin or Dapagliflozin) or metformin. Certain medications that lower your blood pressure should also not be taken if you are ill in bed and not eating and drinking normally. You should discuss with your healthcare team which of your medications should not be taken when you are ill. Most people will have heard of sick day rules for diabetes, and you can find more information at the links below:
Sick Day Guidance for Type 1 Diabetes: https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/resources/internal/sick-day-guidance-for-type-1-diabetes/
Sick Day Guidance for Type 2 Diabetes: https://mydiabetesmyway.scot.nhs.uk/resources/internal/sick-day-guidance-for-type-2-diabetes/
Webinar on Diabetes and Periodontitis
In association with MyWay Digital Health, we are excited to announce that we will be broadcasting a webinar on Diabetes and Periodontitis later this month. This will take place on 30th November at 6pm with Professor Peter Mossey and Dr George Cherukara from the University of Dundee.
Periodontitis is an advanced form of gum disease caused by bacteria in the dental plaque that builds up around the teeth. If left untreated, periodontitis can cause teeth to become loose and may eventually lead to tooth loss. There is a direct link between the disease and several other inflammatory conditions, including diabetes.
Gingivitis is the earliest and reversible form of gum disease and is an important warning sign and a potential gateway to periodontitis. It develops when too much plaque builds up on the teeth, which triggers inflammation of the gums. Emerging evidence suggests that even gingivitis may influence swelling elsewhere in the body. Although not everyone with gingivitis develops periodontitis, persistent inflammation can lead to periodontitis, particularly when plaque is not adequately controlled through daily oral hygiene (e.g. cleaning your teeth) and professional care (e.g. attending check-ups at your dentist).
Periodontitis has a two-way relationship with diabetes: poorly controlled diabetes increases the risk and severity of periodontitis and reduces healing after dental treatment, while more severe periodontitis is associated with poorer blood glucose control (higher HbA1c) and an increased risk of diabetes-related complications.
Preventing and treating gum inflammation early, through effective daily self-care and appropriate professional care, is therefore an important part of maintaining both oral and general health, particularly for people living with diabetes.
We hope that you can join us for this webinar. Registration is available at the following link:
https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/cab39e0e-5b8d-445a-9623-b4659ce82a0f@6701920b-619f-43a7-a33c-03dcafd0e5f1
Scottish Diabetes Survey 2025
The Scottish Government has published the 2025 Scottish Diabetes Survey. This report provides an annual update describing many aspects of diabetes care across the whole of Scotland. This information is useful as it helps each Scottish NHS Board identify areas to focus on to further improve the quality of diabetes care in their area. At the end of 2025, there were nearly 380,000 people living with diabetes in Scotland. 37,270 people have Type 1 diabetes, 335,974 people with Type 2 and 6,658 with other types of diabetes. You can find the full report at the following link:
https://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Scottish-Diabetes-Survey-2025.pdf
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.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mydiabetesmyway
X (formerly Twitter): https://www.twitter.com/mydiabetesmyway
Bluesky: @mydiabetesmyway.bsky.social
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