Comparing the efficacy of the sensor-augmented insulin pump with insulin injection therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes

The present study compared the efficacy of two methods of insulin delivery in patients with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM): multiple insulin injections and Sensor-Augmented Insulin Pump (SAIP). The study found a significant improvement in glycemic (blood sugar) control with the SAIP compared to injections.

In T1DM the pancreas stops producing insulin (the hormone regulating the amount of glucose in the blood). Without insulin the body accumulates sugar in the blood stream which leads to eye, kidney, nerve and heart problems. T1DM is usually treated with insulin injections (delivered by insulin syringe or insulin pen). An alternative method of insulin delivery is the insulin pump (a device connected by a small tube under the skin of the abdomen) which pumps a continuous amount of insulin 24 hours a day. The SAIP combines an insulin pump with a system for continuous glucose monitoring (a sensor that measures blood sugar levels throughout day and night). This article evaluates the benefits of the SAIP compared with the traditional insulin injections.

The study included 485 T1DM patients (329 adults and 156 children) who received insulin either by injection (241 patients), or by SAIP (244 patients). After 1 year, the mean glycated hemoglobin level (a measure for blood sugar control) decreased by 0.8% in the SAIP group and by 0.2% in the injection-therapy group. The proportion of patients who reached the glycated hemoglobin target (<7%) was greater in the SAIP group than in the injection-therapy group.

In conclusion, there was a better glycemic control for the SAIP therapy group then in the injection therapy group, for both adults and children. The frequency of adverse effects of insulin therapy such as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or weight gain was similar in both groups.