Guardian

FOR patients with type 1 diabetes, a dual-hormone artificial pancreas system (also known as a closed-loop delivery system) improved the control of glucose levels and reduced the risk of hypoglycemia compared with conventional pump treatment in a trial published in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

Also, researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) have found that minimally invasive islet transplantation for patients with type 1 diabetes achieves insulin independence and reverses the progression of atherosclerosis in the first few years after transplant.

The research is published in the February issue of the journal Diabetes Care and is available online.

Hardening of the arteries, also called atherosclerosis, is a common disorder. It occurs when fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up in the walls of arteries and form hard structures called plaques. Over time, these plaques can block the arteries and cause problems throughout the body.

It is challenging for patients with type 1 diabetes to control their glucose levels because tight glucose control increases the incidence of hypoglycemia (dangerously low glucose levels). Insulin pump treatment, which provides a continuous predetermined subcutaneous supply of insulin, is available, but hypoglycemia still occurs.

“Hypoglycemia is feared by most patients and remains the most common adverse effect of insulin therapy,” writes Ahmad Haidar, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal and McGill University, with coauthors.

The dual-hormone artificial pancreas delivers insulin and glucagon using infusion pumps based on continuous glucose sensor readings as guided by an intelligent dosing algorithm. The infusion pumps and the glucose sensors are already on the market, but the intelligent algorithm was developed by the researchers in Montreal.