Friday, May 27, 2011

Artificial pancreas can ‘effectively’ improve diabetes control in adults



Researchers have suggested that closed loop insulin delivery (also known as an artificial pancreas) may improve overnight blood glucose control and reduce the risk of nocturnal hypoglycaemia (a sudden drop in blood glucose levels during the night) in adults with type 1 diabetes.
Lifelong insulin therapy is needed to control blood glucose levels, but the risk of hypoglycaemia remains a major challenge, especially during the night.
Recent advances have led to the development of a closed loop insulin delivery system that automatically computes insulin dose according to glucose levels detected by a sensor. Previous studies have shown that this system is effective in children and adolescents, but its effectiveness in adults is unknown.
So a team of researchers, led by Roman Hovorka from the University of Cambridge, carried out two studies to compare the safety and efficacy of overnight closed loop insulin delivery with conventional insulin pump therapy in adults with type 1 diabetes.
These findings provide further evidence that overnight closed loop delivery can operate safely, effectively, and consistently across different age groups, insulin sensitivities, and lifestyle conditions, concluded the authors.
They added that the closed loop system "may in future allow more flexible lifestyles in conjunction with improved glycaemic control for people with type 1 diabetes."

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