In a nutshell This study investigated failure of insulin pumps in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). It was determined that insulin pumps failed at a rate of 4.5% per year in these patients. Some background A traditional insulin pump is a small device that continuously delivers insulin, without the need for multiple daily injections....
Read MoreMore on Insulin: Insulin Replacement Therapy
Insulin was first extracted from cattle and pig pancreas. It took 8,000 pounds of pancreas from 23,500 animals to make one pound of insulin. In 1978, Eli Lilly needed 56 million animals to meet the US demand for insulin. Everything changed when, Genentech used recombinant DNA technology to create synthetic human insulin (now called human insulin). The...
Read MoreCan the artificial pancreas improve control of glucose levels without increasing insulin doses?
In a nutshell This study investigated the effectiveness and safety of the artificial pancreas (APs) in people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). It was determined that APs improve control of glucose levels, without increasing the insulin dose. Some background A traditional insulin pump is a small device that continuously delivers insulin, without...
Read MoreDiabetes and Innovation: Insulin Pump + CGM = Artificial Pancreas
E-health and mobile connectivity, coupled with powerful software, is hitting the diabetes community by storm. It’s a whole new world out there in self-care for people with diabetes. Insulin Pumps Rather than giving yourself individual injections of insulin every time you need it, an insulin pump provides you with rapid or short acting insulin...
Read MoreEmpagliflozin (Jardiance) – complementary drug therapy to insulin injections?
In a nutshell This trial investigated the effect of empagliflozin (Jardiance) on daily glucose levels in people with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Some background Empagliflozin is a drug approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It causes sugar in the blood to be released from the body via the urine. However, recent studies...
Read MoreContinuous insulin infusion: pros and cons for type 1 diabetics
In a nutshell This review explored the use of insulin pump systems in type 1 diabetes. Some background Patients with type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin, the hormone needed to break down the glucose (sugar) taken in from food. Without enough insulin, glucose can build up in the blood and can eventually lead to damage to the nerves, blood...
Read MoreDoes the insulin pump benefit all? Psychological issues and diabetes treatments
In a nutshell This study examined the effect of psychological illness, such as depression or anxiety, on glycemic control in type 1 diabetics using insulin pumps (continuous delivery of insulin). Some background Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion, or the insulin pump, introduces an ongoing amount of insulin into the body, without the...
Read MoreFinding balance: causes of hypoglycemia with a glucagon/insulin pump system
In a nutshell This study examined the factors involved in the successful control of hypoglycemia with an insulin-glucagon pump. Some background Hypoglycemia (dangerously low blood glucose [sugar] levels) is a common side effect of insulin therapy for type 1 diabetes mellitus. Hypoglycemia can occur when there is too much insulin at any one time....
Read MoreLong-term outcome of insulin pump therapy in children with type 1 diabetes
In a nutshell The authors evaluated the long-term outcomes of insulin pump therapy in children under 18 years of age. Some background The increasing use of insulin pump therapy, particularly in children, has been driven by improvements in pump technology and the availability of insulin drugs. Most studies report an improvement in HbA1c (a...
Read MoreMethods of blood glucose measurement and insulin delivery for diabetes
The aim of this review was to determine how the way of administrating insulin and monitoring glucose affects the development of type 1 and 2 diabetes mellitus. All patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM), and many patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) require daily insulin therapy. Monitoring blood glucose levels is a critical part of insulin therapy. The...
Read MoreComparing the efficacy of the sensor-augmented insulin pump with insulin injection therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes
In a nutshell 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. Some...
Read MoreWhich diabetes management methods maximize glucose control for patients with type 1 diabetes?
In a nutshell This analysis compared diabetes treatments for how much of the time blood sugar is in the target range. It found that closed-loop systems, which combine a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and insulin pump, led to better outcomes for people with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Some background T1D is a disorder in which the body cannot produce the...
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