Diabetes

WEIGHT loss injections and weight loss surgery are both effective ways to slim down.

But one may lead to longer life and fewer serious health problems, say scientists.

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A large Cleveland Clinic study found people with obesity and type 2 diabetes who undergo weight loss surgery (known as bariatric or metabolic surgery) live longer and face fewer health risks compared with those treated with GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist weight loss jabs.

Patients who underwent weight loss surgery lost more weight, achieved better blood sugar control, and relied less on diabetes and heart medications over 10 years.

“Even with today’s best medicines, metabolic surgery offers unique and lasting benefits for people with obesity and diabetes,” said Ali Aminian, director of Cleveland Clinic’s Bariatric & Metabolic Institute and primary investigator of the study.

“The benefits we observed went beyond weight loss. Surgery was linked to fewer heart problems, less kidney disease, and even lower rates of diabetes-related eye damage.”

GLP-1 receptor agonists are a class of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity.

There’s been a sharp rise of their use in the UK, driven primarily by use for weight loss through private prescribing.

Both surgery and jabs improve cardiovascular health and metabolism.

But at the end of the study that followed 3,932 adults with diabetes and obesity who received care at Cleveland Clinic for up to 10 years, patients who underwent surgery had a:

• 32 per cent lower risk of death
• 25 per cent lower risk of major health problems (such as heart attack, heart failure, or stroke)
• 47 per cent lower risk of serious kidney disease
• 54 per cent lower risk of diabetes-related eye damage (retinopathy)

On average, people who had weight loss surgery lost 21.6 per cent of their body weight over 10 years, while those on weight loss jabs lost 6.8 per cent.

Hemoglobin A1c, a marker of average blood sugar, improved more with surgery than with GLP-1 medicines.

And patients who had surgery required fewer prescriptions for diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol.

“Even in the era of these powerful new drugs to treat obesity and diabetes, metabolic surgery may provide additional benefits, including a survival advantage,” said Steven Nissen, Chief Academic Officer of the Heart, Vascular & Thoracic Institute at Cleveland Clinic and senior author of the study.

“Our findings indicate that surgery should remain an important treatment option for obesity and diabetes,” said Dr Aminian.

“These long-term benefits are harder to achieve with GLP-1 medicines alone, as many patients stop using the medications over time.”

There were some limitations to the study – it was observational rather than a randomised comparison of drugs and surgery.

It also didn’t focus exclusively on the newest and most effective GLP-1 medicines.

The researchers said future studies should directly compare surgery with newer GLP-1 medicines, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide to guide treatment decisions.

MARRIED At First Sight star JJ Slater has revealed who he still speaks to from his series’ cast.

Currently recovering from his and hers surgeries with his girlfriend Katie Price after they jetted out to Turkey together, JJ has lifted the lid on his MAFS experience and unveiled the two people he still speaks to.

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Speaking to The Sun on behalf of Casino.org, JJ opened up about whether or not he speaks to people from his series of MAFS.

JJ appeared on Married At First Sight UK in 2023, firstly marrying Bianca Petronzi before striking up a romance with co-star Ella Morgan.

When asked if he is still in touch with anyone, he said: “Not on a basis where we would message and check in with each other, apart from with Luke and with Terence.

“There is a boys’ group chat with all the boys in there. It’s pretty quiet now.

“It was lively at first, but now it’s just like, happy birthdays.

“Or if someone’s going out, they’ll be like, I’m here, if anyone fancies a beer, stuff like that. But on a day-to-day basis, no.”

JJ’s comments on Married At First Sight UK come after he and his girlfriend Katie Price underwent his and hers surgeries.

The former glamour model, 47, and JJ had planned to go under the knife together, but he was banned from having an op.

JJ was forced to change his plans due to his Type 1 diabetes.

Last month, Katie revealed that JJ had gotten a “hair transplant” in Turkey.

She filmed her beau and shared the video on Snapchat as he underwent a Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) procedure.

He had the work done at the last minute after his plan to have his eye bags removed couldn’t go ahead.

“I went to Turkey to have the bags under my eyes done, but I couldn’t have it done,” he explained in our exclusive earlier this week.

JJ went on: “I was all in the gown, wearing the knee-high socks, ready to go down. But my blood sugars were flagged.

“I got diagnosed with type 1 diabetes after the show, actually.

“So yeah, my blood sugars, there was a reading in my blood that they weren’t happy with, so they didn’t do the procedure. So recovery was fine, as it didn’t happen.”

Speaking about his diabetes diagnosis, JJ said it “was definitely one of the biggest life-changing things since the show”.

He went on: “Type 1 is an autoimmune disease, so I’ve done a lot of research into it.

“One of the potential triggers can be stress – not scientifically proven, but it does make you wonder, given everything going on around that time.”

He added: “I was 31, had never had any issues before, and suddenly I was really ill for about two months. But being a typical bloke, I just ignored it, thinking it would go away.

“But then, when I did get really ill, my dad was like, mate, you’ve got to get yourself to the hospital.”

Recalling when he was diagnosed, JJ said that he lost nearly two stone and was really thirsty.

“It’s a bit disgusting, but I was also passing blood in my urine,” he explained.

“That was the biggest trigger for me – that was when I told myself I had to get myself to get checked out.

“But since then, it has helped me. Now I’m more focused on what I eat because I have to, and I try to be a lot healthier.”

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IT was 1984 and newly qualified doctor Daniel Drucker was excited to dive into the world of ­scientific research.

Fresh out of the University of Toronto Medical School, the 28-year-old was working at a lab in Boston in the US when his supervisor asked him to carry out a routine experiment — which proved to be anything but.

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For it led to Dr Drucker’s discovery of a previously unknown hormone, sparking a new era in medicine.

What he modestly calls a “happy accident” then kick-started a series of ­discoveries that made today’s game-changing weight loss jabs a reality.

The hormone was called glucagon-like peptide 1 — or GLP-1, as the world now knows it.

And the drugs that have resulted from its discovery have produced amazing effects — with users losing up to a fifth of their body weight.

So far around 50,000 of us have been prescribed jabs on the NHS for weight loss, but it is ­estimated around 1.5million people here are buying them privately — a figure that is expected to rise sharply.

Dr Drucker, now 69, tells The Sun: “I never felt like I was on the brink of something huge.

“It was just a fantastic stroke of luck to be in the right place at the right time and to be part of an ­innovation that could improve the health of hundreds of millions of people all over the world.”

The drugs are now being hailed as a possible cure for a range of other conditions too, including dementia and migraine.

But Dr Drucker warns: “We need to be cautious, respect what we don’t know, and not rush into thinking these medicines are right for everyone.

‘Full of hope’

“There could be side-effects we haven’t seen yet, especially in groups we haven’t properly studied.”

Some studies have also raised concerns about gallbladder problems and in rare cases, even ­suicidal thoughts.

GLP-1 was found to play a key role in regulating the appetite and blood sugar levels, by slowing digestion and signalling a feeling of fullness to the brain.

Fat jabs such as Mounjaro and Wegovy contain synthetic versions of GLP-1, tirzepatide and semaglutide, which mimic the natural hormone with astonishing, fat-busting results.

Originally these drugs — known as GLP-1 agonists — were licensed to treat Type 2 diabetes, due to their ability to stimulate the body’s production of insulin, which cuts high blood glucose levels.

But over the past 15 years, after studies ­confirmed the potential to tackle obesity, pharmaceutical firms have reapplied to have the drugs approved as weight loss treatments.

And now evidence is emerging almost daily to suggest these drugs could help treat and even prevent other chronic and degenerative diseases.

Hundreds of scientific trials are under way, and Dr Drucker is “full of hope”, adding that he would consider taking the drugs himself, to ward off ­Alzheimer’s disease.

He says: “I think the next five years is going to be massive. These drugs won’t fix everything, but if they help even half the ­conditions we are testing them for, we could finally find ­treatments for conditions once thought untreatable.”

Decades after his discovery, Dr Drucker is now a professor of ­medicine at the University of Toronto, and a senior investigator at the affiliated Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, where GLP-1 research now fills his life.

He says: “Every morning I turn on my phone and check what’s happened overnight — what new ­discovery has been made, what could this hormone cure or treat.”

Even so, in May UK health chiefs warned that the jabs must not be taken during pregnancy or in the two months before conception, after studies of animals found that semaglutide can cause ­pregnancy loss and birth defects.

But with human use, no such ­danger has been ­confirmed, Dr Drucker says, and dozens of women have ­conceived while taking them.

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Some scientists even believe GLP-1 drugs may boost ­fertility, and could become a go-to for infertility treatment.

Dr Drucker, listed in Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2024, says: “It wouldn’t surprise me if five years from now, once we have more clinical trial evidence, if we start recommending these medicines to help people get pregnant, and have safer pregnancies.”

It is exciting stuff, but Dr Drucker admits he also worries about people using the drugs for the wrong ­reasons — such as slim, young women in pursuit of unrealistic beauty ideals on social media.

He says: “If I’ve got a 17-year-old who wants to lose another five per cent of her body weight to look like some celebrity, that’s a real concern.

“We haven’t studied 10,000 teenage girls on these drugs over five years. We don’t know how they affect bones, fertility, mental health or development in the long term.”

Last year model Lottie Moss, sister of supermodel Kate, revealed she had ended up in hospital after a seizure linked to high doses of weight loss drug Ozempic.

I think the next five years will be massive. These drugs won’t fix everything, but if they help even half the conditions we are testing for, we could find treatments for conditions thought untreatable

Dr Daniel Drucker

A nurse told her the dose she had been injecting was meant for someone twice her size.

Dr Drucker warned that older adults, people with eating disorders and those with mental health ­conditions may respond differently to the drugs.

He says: “We’re still ­learning, and just because a medicine works well in one group doesn’t mean it is safe for everyone.”

One of the biggest risks is dehydration, which OnlyFans star Lottie blamed for her seizure.

Dr Drucker says: “Some people experience nausea and vomiting, which can lead to dehydration, and that in itself can be dangerous.”
He also warns that losing weight too quickly can reduce muscle mass and bone density, which is especially risky for older people.

He adds: “This is why it is important people only take these drugs when being monitored by medical professionals, so they can be properly assessed for side-effects and receive the safest, most effective care.”

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So far at least 85 people in the UK have died after taking weight loss jabs, according to reports sent to the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency watchdog.

While none of the deaths has been definitively linked to the drugs, health bodies noted a “suspicion” that they may have played a role.

Dr Drucker says: “Reports like these can raise flags, but without proper comparison groups they don’t tell the full story.

‘Drugs aren’t candy’

“In fact, large trials show GLP-1 drugs actually reduce death rates in people with Type 2 diabetes and those with obesity and heart disease.

“So far, the evidence looks solid and reassuring.”

With millions of patients treated over the years, GLP-1s have a well-established safety record for diabetes and obesity.

But Dr Drucker warns that for newer uses, such as ­Alzheimer’s, fatty liver disease or sleep apnoea, we need more data.

He says: “I don’t think there are any hidden, terrifying side-effects waiting to be uncovered.

“But that doesn’t mean people should take them lightly. We don’t yet have 20 years of experience ­treating some of these ­conditions.

“We need to approach each new indication with appropriate caution, to really understand the benefits ­versus the potential risks.

“These drugs aren’t candy, they won’t fix everything — and like all medicines they have side-effects.

“I don’t think we should abandon our focus on safety. We need to move carefully and thoughtfully as this field evolves.”

I’m not struggling with Type 2 diabetes or obesity, but I do have a family history of ­Alzheimer’s. I’m watching the trials closely and, depending on the results, I wouldn’t rule out taking them in the future

Dr Daniel Drucker

He continues: “I’m not struggling with Type 2 diabetes or obesity, but I do have a family history of ­Alzheimer’s. I’m watching the trials closely and, depending on the results, I wouldn’t rule out taking them in the future.

“I have friends from college who are already showing early signs of cognitive decline, and there’s hope that in some cases, ­semaglutide might help to slow it.”

Several studies over the years ­support that theory.

A recent study by a US university found that the jabs could prevent Alzheimer’s-related changes in people with Type 2 diabetes.

Separate research from Taiwan found that people on GLP-1 agonist drugs appeared to have a 37 per cent lower risk of dementia.

Dr Drucker now regularly receives messages from people around the world whose lives have been changed by the drugs his lab helped to create.

He says: “I get tons of stories. ­People send me emails and photos, not just showing their weight loss, but how their health has changed in other ways too.”

Some say the jabs have helped their chronic pain, cleared brain fog or improved long-standing health conditions such as ulcerative colitis or arthritis.

Dr Drucker adds: “It’s incredibly heartwarming and I never get tired of hearing these stories.”

But for him there is even deeper meaning attached to his discovery.

His 97-year-old mother Cila, ­originally from Poland, survived the Holocaust, spending months as a child hiding in the family’s attic before they were captured and held in a ghetto, where her mother and sister were later shot dead.

At the end of the war in 1945 she became a refugee in Palestine, then in 1953 she emigrated to Canada, first settling in Montreal then making Toronto her home in the 1990s.

Dr Drucker says his work has helped to ease Cila’s survivor’s guilt which had consumed her for decades.

He says: “She looks at my work and she’s so proud of how many people it could potentially help.”

THE world’s first smartphone test for type 2 diabetes has launched in the UK.

The app-based check is designed to make it easier for people to spot their risk and could help cut complications such as heart attacks, strokes, and kidney disease, which are often linked to diabetes.

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Patients place a drop of blood from a finger-prick onto a chip, which is then scanned by the PocDoc app to give results almost instantly.

NHS trusts in Cumbria and the North East are the first to roll it out, with a nationwide launch planned later this year.

The Government has hailed the app as a “potential game-changer” in the fight against diabetes as results come in within minutes, instead of the days or weeks it can currently take.

Around 5.2 million people in the UK have type 2 diabetes, with cases still rising – and a further 1.3 million thought to be undiagnosed.

“Enabling screening for type 2 diabetes risk including blood biomarkers via a smartphone app is something that has never been done before,” said PocDoc chief executive Steve Roest.

Professor Julia Newton, medical director at HI NENC, said the test could reach people who struggle with conventional health checks.

“Most people over the age of 40 are invited for an NHS health check every five years, but depending on where you live a large chunk don’t attend,” she said.

“One of the reasons we’ve found is accessing a health check in a conventional setting.

“So if those tests are made more easily available, which this test does, then we have the opportunity to reach far more people.”

She added: “If you consider the number of people with diabetes who go onto have heart attacks and strokes, if we can manage their risk before it becomes a problem that will reduce admissions to hospital, reduce mortality, and reduce complications from diabetes, such as kidney disease, heart disease, and stroke disease.”

The HbA1c finger-prick test is considered the gold standard blood test. This is because it shows average blood sugar levels over the past two to three months, giving a clearer picture than daily checks.

Steve said the app fits directly with Health Secretary Wes Streeting’s 10-year NHS plan, spotting illnesses earlier, tailoring care, and shifting more testing and diagnosis into homes and communities.

“There’s a huge gap in screening for preventable diseases,” he said.

“Right now, the system, not just in the UK but worldwide, cannot find, assess, and diagnose enough people to make a dent in tackling heart attacks, strokes, and type 2 diabetes.”

Health minister Stephen Kinnock told The i Paper that the app rollout was important because type 2 diabetes is on the rise across England.

“This is a potential game-changer and exactly the type of technology we want to see in the NHS as part of the 10 Year Health Plan – bringing our health service firmly into the 21st century and care directly into people’s homes.

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“We will make using the NHS as simple and convenient as online banking or shopping, while helping companies bring new technology into the health service more quickly.”

The seed of the device was planted 30 years ago when Steve was a teenager and witnessed his father having a catastrophic stroke in his early forties, due to undiagnosed cardiovascular disease (CVD).

“Using smartphones to deliver diagnostics is exactly what could have saved my dad from having so many [health] problems. He’s cost the NHS a fortune,” Steve said.

Around £9bn is spent on treating complications arising from diabetes, such as heart disease, kidney problems, and nerve damage.

Studies suggest that the annual cost of the disease could increase to £16.9 bn in the next 25 years.

The app’s launch comes 24 hours after the Government announced the biggest shake-up of diabetes care in a decade.

Around 750,000 patients with CVD or early-onset diabetes would benefit from fat jabs sooner, rather than keeping them for the later stages of treatment, new guidance states.

July 9 (UPI) — Barbie dolls have come a long way from the ultra-thin and super-blonde original doll. Now, in an effort to make the doll more reflective of the girls who enjoy them, Mattel has launched a Barbie with Type 1 diabetes.

“Introducing a Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes marks an important step in our commitment to inclusivity and representation,” said Krista Berger, senior vice president of Barbie and global head of dolls. “Barbie helps shape children’s early perceptions of the world, and by reflecting medical conditions like T1D, we ensure more kids can see themselves in the stories they imagine and the dolls they love.”

To ensure that Barbie with Type 1 diabetes is truly representative of the community, Mattel partnered with Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF).

Type 1 diabetes is a chronic autoimmune condition that causes the pancreas to make very little or no insulin, leading to dependence on insulin therapy and the risk of short and or long-term complications.

Barbie worked closely with Breakthrough T1D to ensure the authenticity of the doll. Her attributes include:

• Continuous glucose monitor: The doll wears a CGM on her arm to help manage her Type 1 diabetes. CGMs are small, wearable devices that continuously measure a person’s blood-sugar levels. To keep her CGM in place, she uses heart-shaped medical tape and she uses a phone that displays a CGM app to help track her blood sugar levels.
• Insulin pump: Barbie has an insulin pump that allows for automated insulin dosing as needed, attached to her waist.
• Blue polka dot outfit: The doll wears a stylish polka dot top and matching skirt with ruffles. The color blue and circle print are nods to the global symbols that represent diabetes awareness.
• Purse: She has a pastel blue purse, perfect for her to carry essentials, such as Type 1 diabetes supplies or snacks.

“We were thrilled when Barbie approached us to collaborate on the development of the Barbie doll with Type 1 diabetes,” said Aaron J. Kowalski, CEO of Breakthrough T1D. “I have lived with T1D since I was 13, and my brother since he was 3, so this partnership is deeply personal — it means the world to be part of bringing greater visibility to a condition that affects so many families. It’s an honor to work with a brand that shares our commitment to showing children that a life with Type 1 diabetes can be full, vibrant, and empowering.”

In continued partnership with Breakthrough T1D, Barbie donated dolls to the Breakthrough T1D 2025 Children’s Congress in Washington, D.C.

Barbie continues to include many dolls modeled after prominent people or celebrate diversity. In April, Barbie released a Le Bron James look-alike as a “Kenbassador,” and last year it released the Barbie movie on HBO Max with an American Sign Language version. In 2024, Barbie released an athletic version, and in 2023, it released a doll modeled after Cherokee leader Wilma Mankiller as part of its “Inspiring Women” dolls.

A NEW blood test to pick up early signs of a cancer which kills more than half of people within three months of diagnosis is being trialled by UK doctors.

The genomic test uses blood samples to look for markers of the deadly disease, which often has vague symptoms.

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Currently, the UK doesn’t have a national screening programme for pancreatic cancer like it does for breast or bowel cancer. 

A huge issue is the disease is often diagnosed at a late stage because it frequently lacks noticeable symptoms in the early stages. 

But a new pancreatic cancer test is being trialled in patients with a recent diagnosis of type 2 diabetes – a known risk factor for the disease.

People over 50 with a new case of type 2 diabetes have a higher chance of also being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer within three years.

Early data suggests the Avantect test is 68 per cent accurate in picking up people with early stages of the disease, which kills almost 10,000 people every year in the UK.

It’s also 97 per cent accurate in ruling out people without pancreatic cancer.

The new clinical trial has been launched at the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit.

Zaed Hamady, consultant surgeon and pancreatic researcher at the University of Southampton, who’s leading the trial, said: “There is currently no targeted early detection or surveillance test for the disease meaning patients are often diagnosed late when they become really unwell.

“If we can develop approaches to detect the cancer sooner, then there are more options we may consider to treat the disease, and patients will have a much better chance of long-term survival.

“Although most people with diabetes will not go on to develop the disease, new onset diabetes is associated with a six to eight-fold increased risk.

“This patient group gives us a way to test how accurate the new diagnostic blood test is, and that could potentially help thousands of people in the future.”

According to researchers, newly-diagnosed type 2 diabetes patients often have similar symptoms as a person with early-stage pancreatic cancer.

This is because the cancer destroys the same insulin-producing cells that are also destroyed in diabetes.

‘Earlier diagnosis would have meant time to make more memories with our children’

Sean Cleghorn’s wife, Allison, discovered she had pancreatic cancer at Christmas 2020 but died four weeks later aged 54.

Mr Cleghorn, a father of three from Kingsclere in Hampshire, said: “The only symptom Allison displayed was some slight indigestion and then she was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in the autumn of 2020.

“Allison had always eaten healthily, was active and avoided processed food, so this diagnosis was puzzling for us.

“When we learned that new-onset type 2 diabetes was a potential risk factor for pancreatic cancer, we asked for further testing and a scan confirmed she had terminal cancer.

“We hoped she could have chemotherapy to prolong her life, but she became too weak and died four weeks later.

“Perhaps if she had been diagnosed sooner with a test like the one that’s currently being trialled, we may have had time to make more memories with our three children.”

Angelica Cazaly, senior trial manager for the trial, said: “We are asking people with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes who are attending GP surgeries or diabetic clinics whether they would like to take part in the study.

“Initially, we will collect blood samples from 800 people for testing.

“The results from the test, together with medical information collected from each patient, will help provide researchers with important information on how best to proceed with the rest of the study that will evaluate how accurate the test is at predicting pancreatic cancer.”

‘Exciting time for early detection research’

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Around 10,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year and just one in 20 survive the disease for 10 years or more.

Samuel Levy, chief scientific officer of ClearNote Health, said: “Our early data demonstrate that our Avantect test can identify pancreatic cancer in stages I and II.

“We are excited to collaborate with the Cancer Research UK Southampton Clinical Trials Unit and the University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust on this transformative study that could redefine how pancreatic cancer is detected and managed for patients at high risk.”

Dr Chris Macdonald, head of research at Pancreatic Cancer UK, said over 80 per cent of people with pancreatic cancer are currently diagnosed too late for treatment.

He added: “This is an exciting time for early detection research, with tests using blood, breath and urine in development which, if shown to be successful in clinical trials, could save thousands of lives every year.

“Early findings from these tests are very promising, but more research is needed to ensure that they are as accurate as possible before they will be available in the GP surgery.”

Will Hoda Kotb replace Kelly Clarkson as a talk-show host, giving rise to “Hoda in the Afternoon”? The retired morning-show anchor quickly shut down that rumor Wednesday when she popped back up on “Today” for the first time since her January departure from the show.

“Do y’all think — I want to ask y’all a real question — do you think, if I ever came back to TV, do you know where the only place I would ever come back to is?” Kotb asked her former colleagues after replacement co-host Craig Melvin inquired about that rumor. “Right here. This is the spot.”

“Delete, not true,” she said of the Clarkson rumor.

Something that is true? Kotb revealed that she left “Today” in part to take care of 6-year-old daughter Hope, who was diagnosed about two years ago with Type 1 diabetes. Previously known as juvenile diabetes because it’s most often diagnosed in childhood, the autoimmune disorder can occur in adults as well.

Hope’s health issues arose more than two years ago, she said. Now the child has to use synthetic insulin regularly to stay well, since her condition prevents insulin production by her pancreas.

“As anyone with a child who has Type 1 [knows], especially a little kid, you’re constantly watching, you’re constantly monitoring, you’re constantly checking, which is what I did all the time when I was [at ‘Today’],” she told Melvin and Savannah Guthrie. “You’re distracted.”

Hope, however, is just like “every other kid” except for about five minute at breakfast, lunch, dinner and sometimes overnight, Kotb said.

But being there for her daughter had become nonnegotiable, she told People in a story published Wednesday, so “Today” had to become part of yesterday. No more alarms going off at 3:15 a.m. every morning.

Now she sleeps in until 4:30 a.m. She also just launched a new wellness venture, Joy 101. But her children remain her focus.

“I really wanted to and needed to be here to watch over [Hope]. So, whenever she needs anything, and it can happen at night, multiple times, I’m up — I’m up up up,” she said.

“But I would never, ever want Hope to one day grow up and say, ‘Oh, my mom left her job because [of me].’ It wasn’t that alone. But if you look at it cumulatively, it was a part of that decision.”

Kotb, 60, and ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman adopted Hope in 2019 and sister Haley in 2017. The couple split up in 2022 but remain friends and co-parents.

Hope, Kotb told People, “is a happy, healthy, rambunctious, amazing kid, and we have to watch her. Diabetes is a part of her, but not all of her. I hope it shapes her but never defines her.”