Tidepool announces collaboration with Ōura to advance inclusive diabetes research through wearables
Tidepool and ŌURA are teaming up to launch one of the most comprehensive real-world datasets in diabetes — combining Oura Ring biometric trends with diabetes device data to advance inclusive research.
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The unmet need
The research gap is real—and it’s hurting women+ with diabetes.
For decades, women’s bodies were excluded from research because menstruation was considered too “complicated” and too “expensive” to study. Hormonal fluctuations were often treated as a nuisance, rather than a vital part of understanding health. The result? Medical practice and device design have been built on incomplete data.
In diabetes care, these gaps mean worse outcomes for women+: higher rates of diabetic ketoacidosis3, more cardiovascular complications2, and fewer tools designed with their needs in mind. It’s time to change that—and to put women+ at the center of diabetes research and innovation.
women in the US is living with diabetes1
higher risk of heart disease2
report cycle-related glucose variability3
of diabetes studies include menstrual cycle analysis
What we’re doing about it
Through the Tidepool Period Project, we are committed to reducing the gaps in data, education, and tools dedicated to addressing the standards of care and lived experiences of women+ living with diabetes.
Data and Research
Support academic and researcher partners with robust diabetes and reproductive data sets to power more specific research questions about how diabetes uniquely impacts women.
Education and Clinical Guidance
Driving evidence-based guidelines for cycle-aware diabetes management and equipping clinicians and PwDs with resources to have informed conversations.
Tools
Expand Tidepool’s product functionality to include feature development and educational content that supports women+ needs.
Conversation starters
Medical Advisors
The Tidepool Period Project is guided by leading experts in endocrinology, digital health, and diabetes research. Our advisors ensure the project is grounded in rigorous science, patient-centered perspectives, and a commitment to health equity.
Eda Cengiz, MD, MHS
Professor of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine
Dr. Cengiz is an internationally recognized leader in pediatric endocrinology and diabetes technology research. Her work focuses on advancing automated insulin delivery systems and understanding the unique challenges faced by youth with type 1 diabetes—including the impact of puberty and hormonal changes.
Katarina Braune, MD
Physician-Scientist, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
Dr. Braune specializes in digital health, real-world evidence, and patient-led innovation in diabetes care. She brings expertise in using large-scale data and open-source approaches to close research gaps—particularly around women’s health and underrepresented populations.
Rayhan Lal, MD, MPH, PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Endocrinology, Stanford University
Dr. Lal is triple board-certified in pediatrics, adult endocrinology, and clinical informatics. Living with type 1 diabetes himself, he integrates clinical, research, and lived experience perspectives. His research explores technology use across the lifespan, with a focus on improving equity and inclusion in diabetes innovation.
Data collection efforts
The good news is there are people and organizations doing the work.
Menstrual Cycle Study
Complete
Conducted by Diabetes Center Berne and Tidepool, this study explored how insulin needs and glucose levels change throughout the menstrual cycle for people with type 1 diabetes.
JAEB Pregnancy Study
Recruiting
Led by the Jaeb Center for Health Research, this study follows pregnant individuals with type 1 diabetes to better understand glucose management and pregnancy outcomes using real-world device data.
TIMES Study
Recruiting soon
This study tracks insulin use, glucose variability, nutrition, and menstrual cycle data over time in women with type 1 diabetes to identify distinct patterns in how the menstrual cycle affects diabetes management.
The Promise Study
Recruiting
The purpose of this study is to find out more about how exposures during pregnancy, such as having an infection, diet and growth may impact later risk of type 1 diabetes (TID) and islet autoimmunity in the child. We are also interested in finding out more about why having a father or sibling with T1D increases risk of autoimmunity in the child more than having a mother with T1D.
The Merit Study
Recruiting
This study plans to learn more about glycemic control across the menstrual cycle and to understand glycemic responses to changes in sex hormones during menstrual cycles or while taking hormonal birth control. They are also interested in learning more about glycemic responses to exercise in women.
Help us close the gap
1. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office on Women’s Health. Diabetes. Women’s Health. https://womenshealth.gov/a-z-topics/diabetes
2. Peters, S.A.E., Huxley, R.R., Woodward, M. et al. Diabetes as risk factor for incident coronary heart disease in women compared with men: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 64 cohorts including 858,507 individuals and 28,203 coronary events. Diabetologia. 57, 1542–1551 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00125-014-3260-6
3. Brown, S.A., Jiang, B., McElwee-Malloy, M., Wakeman, C., & Breton, M.D. Fluctuations of hyperglycemia and insulin sensitivity are linked to menstrual cycle phases in women with T1D. J. Diabetes Sci. Technol. 9(6), 1192–1199 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1177/1932296815608400
