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Nikita Kuzmin was hailed for showing his flash glucose monitor during the show in 2022 when he and dance partner Tilly Ramsey were eliminated. During the dance-off performance, the strictly professional dancer made the bold choice to remove his already-open shirt, proceeding to dance topless.
Fans instantly noticed the monitor, used for people who have type 1 diabetes, under the 24-year-olds arm.
One fan tweeted at the time: “Thank you, Nikita, for displaying your Libre sensor! As a fellow T1 diabetic, these devices are game changers and to see a celeb wearing one is normalising their use.”
Abbott FreeStyle Libre and FreeStyle Libre 2 are what’s medically known as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and flash devices.
With CGM, people with diabetes can check their blood sugar (glucose) levels at any time.
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Type 1 diabetes is a condition that causes the level of glucose in a person’s blood to become too high.
The NHS explains: “It happens when your body cannot produce enough of a hormone called insulin, which controls blood glucose.
“You need to take insulin every day to keep your blood glucose levels under control.”
Type 1 diabetes is thought to be caused by an autoimmune reaction.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explains this reaction destroys the cells in the pancreas that make insulin, called beta cells.
“This process can go on for months or years before any symptoms appear,” it adds.
For this reason, it’s important to recognise symptoms when they arise.
Symptoms can include:
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If you experience any symptoms of type 1 diabetes, speak to your GP.
If left untreated, type 1 diabetes is a life-threatening condition.
Diabetes can’t be cured, but treatment aims to keep blood glucose levels as normal as a person.
For this reason it’s essential treatment is started early.
The condition can come on quickly, particularly in children.
Nikita was forced to miss the beginning of the most recent Strictly Come Dancing Live Tour after testing positive for Covid.
But the dancer made the most of his time in isolation by fundraising for Diabetes UK – he walked around his hotel room, tracking his steps, as fans cheered him on.
In this year’s Strictly Come Dancing, Nikita has been partnered with Paralympian Ellie Simmonds.
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Diabeets
31/10/2022