Closed-Loop Artificial Pancreas Studies Show Success
Researchers are working hard to “close the loop” between insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors. They’re aiming for a system that controls the wearer’s blood glucose levels automatically. In the latest big step, 33 adults used a closed-loop system continuously and 25 children used one at night. Both groups used them for 12 weeks—the longest to date—and for the first time in real-life unsupervised settings. The amount of time spent with glucose levels in the target range was an average 11 percentage points longer with the closed-loop system than with sensors and pumps that require user input. And the number of low blood glucose events (hypoglycemia) was reduced by 42 percent. The system still requires users to count carbs, but it can compensate if the count is off.
Source: The New England Journal of Medicine, published online Sept. 17, 2015