In this week’s issue of The Savvy Diabetic:
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Metformin Alters Copper, Iron, and Zinc in the Body
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Apple Watch Hypertension Blood Pressure Alert on the Wrist
- UC Irvine discovery leads to TIME-honored memory device
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Newsom unveils $11 state insulin for Californians
- No amount of alcohol is safe, at least for dementia risk
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Metformin Alters Copper, Iron and Zinc in the Body by Rhianna-lily Smith for TechnologyNetworks.com, 1 September 2025.
A study from Kobe University reports that individuals using metformin have lower blood levels of copper and iron and higher levels of zinc compared to non-users. The findings, published in BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care, suggest that the drug’s ability to bind metals may play a role in its wide-ranging benefits. Beyond glycemic control, metformin is associated with a range of additional benefits, including anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-atherosclerotic, and anti-obesity effects. These broader actions are well documented but poorly explained.
Laboratory studies have shown that the drug can form complexes with transition metals, particularly copper. This binding has been suggested to influence mitochondrial function and cell signaling. Altered levels of metals such as copper, iron, and zinc are themselves linked to diabetes and its complications. Higher copper and iron levels are often associated with poorer glucose control and increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Zinc, in contrast, is generally thought to play a protective role in glucose metabolism and in limiting complications.
“It is known that diabetes patients experience changes in the blood levels of metals such as copper, iron, and zinc. In addition, chemical studies found that metformin can bind certain metals, such as copper, and recent studies showed that it is this binding ability that might be responsible for some of the drug’s beneficial effects,” said corresponding author Dr. Wataru Ogawa, a professor at Kobe University.
The findings suggest that metformin’s long-recognized ability to bind metals is not just a laboratory observation but has measurable effects in patients. The lower copper and iron levels, combined with higher zinc levels, may contribute to the drug’s glucose-lowering activity and its protective effects against complications. This aligns with preclinical studies showing that reducing copper availability can influence mitochondrial function, dampen inflammation, and even slow tumor growth.
Read more: Metformin Alters Copper, Iron and Zinc in the Body
Apple Watch Hypertension Alert Moves BP Clues From Clinic to Wrist by Megan Brooks for Medscape.com, 9 October 2025.
The US FDA recently cleared the Apple Watch hypertension notification feature. “This kind of technology and advancement are, to me, exciting. Taking biometric monitoring outside of the clinic and into the home allows us to — almost literally — take our health into our own hands,” Ankur Shah, MD, Division of Kidney Disease and Hypertension, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, said.
The Apple Watch hypertension feature — available on Apple Watch series 9 or later and Apple Watch Ultra 2 or later (excluding Apple Watch SE) — is intended for use in nonpregnant adults aged 22 years or older who have not been previously diagnosed with hypertension. It passively analyzes 60-second segments of photoplethysmography (PPG) collected during waking hours, approximately every 2 hours, throughout non-overlapping 30-day evaluation windows. It does not measure blood pressure directly or give the user a blood pressure reading.
Instead, it notifies users if optical heart sensor data show signs of hypertension after 30 days. If signs of hypertension are detected, users are notified of “possible hypertension” — hopefully to prompt confirmatory testing. “The Apple Watch’s possible hypertension should not be used in place of standard blood pressure measurements by sphygmomanometer,” said Pradeep Natarajan, MD, MMSc, director of preventive cardiology, Mass General Hospital, and associate professor of medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston. “However, its broad use in the population has the possibility to uncover many new cases of hypertension, the most common cardiovascular disease risk factor in the world,” Natarajan said.
The Samsung Galaxy Watch3 and Galaxy Watch Active2 offer on-demand blood pressure measurement via the Samsung Health Monitor app, but it requires regular cuff calibration, and availability varies by regulatory market. It’s not available in the US due to a lack of FDA clearance. The OMRON HeartGuide is an FDA-cleared wristwatch that monitors blood pressure. It uses oscillometric technology to take readings and was launched in the US in January 2019. Google is actively testing a hypertension screening feature for the Pixel Watch, which involves sensor data and user input, and may be integrated into Fitbit devices in the future.
Read more: Apple Watch Hypertension Alert Moves BP Clues From Clinic to Wrist
UC Irvine discovery leads to TIME-honored memory device by Tom Vasich for
A groundbreaking discovery by UC Irvine neurobiologist Michael Leon has led to the development of Memory Air. This scent-based device enhances memory – and it has just been named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2025 in the Health & Wellness category. Leon’s research revealed that stimulating the sense-of-smell center of the brain during sleep can dramatically improve memory consolidation.
Recognizing the potential of this innovation, UC Irvine’s Beall Applied Innovation office worked with Leon to patent the technology in 2020 under the title “Cognition and Memory Enhancement via Multiple Odorant Stimulation.” The patent covers methods and devices that deliver scent sequences to stimulate neural activity, particularly during sleep.
Memory Air is an over-the-counter device that delivers a curated sequence of 40 scents throughout the night. Designed to be non-invasive and easy to use, the device stimulates the brain’s olfactory system to promote memory formation – especially beneficial for aging adults and those experiencing cognitive decline.
Read more: UC Irvine discovery leads to TIME-honored memory device
Newsom unveils $11 state insulin for Californians: ‘We took matters into our own hands’ by Kristen Hwant & Ana B. Ibarra for CalMatters.org, 16 October 2025.
Starting next year, Californians with diabetes will be able to purchase state-branded insulin at steeply reduced prices, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced.
Long-acting insulin pens will be available at pharmacies for $11 per pen — or $55 for a five-pack — starting January 1. The pens are interchangeable with glargine, the generic alternative to Lantus, a once-daily injection that regulates blood sugar. An equivalent amount of Lantus sells to pharmacies for more than $92, according to data compiled by the governor’s office, but consumers may pay a different price based on their insurance.
The sale of insulin is part of the state’s CalRx initiative, which aims to lower prescription drug prices for Californians.
Read more: Newsom unveils $11 state insulin for Californians
No amount of alcohol is safe, at least for dementia risk by Richard Sima for WashingtonPost.com, 15 October 2025.
For years, the common wisdom and science was that a little bit of alcohol wasn’t bad — and even beneficial — for your health: A toast to moderation. But new research published in BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine suggests that even light alcohol consumption can increase dementia risk. “For a long time we thought that the healthiest way to approach drinking and brain health was to take about a drink a day,” said Joel Gelernter, a professor of psychiatry, genetics and neuroscience at Yale University School of Medicine and senior author of the study. Gelernter himself would regularly have one drink a day because the data suggested that was a sweet spot for cognition. But the accumulating new evidence has caused him to avoid alcohol more than he used to, he said.
“I think people should be aware that even a small amount of alcohol intake may have negative cognitive effects down the line,” Gelernter said. “And if that’s the most important thing to you, then you ought to reconsider drinking even a small amount.”
Alcohol may reduce our brain reserve — the biological “hardware” — making our brain “more vulnerable to other pathologies,” Anya Topiwala, a senior clinical researcher and honorary consultant psychiatrist at the University of Oxford, said. Alcohol quickly permeates the cells of our body within minutes of drinking, readily crossing the blood-brain barrier. In the brain, alcohol broadly amplifies neurotransmitters that inhibit neural activity, which dampens parts of the frontal cortex, and releases dopamine, which is why feeling buzzed can feel pleasant.
While alcohol’s acute effects are well studied, “the question of what it does chronically is still really unknown,” said Natalie Zahr, an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University.
That memory was really appealing until I saw the price.
*Memory Air