LONDON (dpa-AFX) - The United Kingdom is taking a step forward in treating diabetes by distributing artificial pancreas devices to tens of thousands of individuals who suffer from it, especially those with type 1 diabetes.
The artificial pancreas device aims to eliminate the need for constant blood glucose monitoring, thereby simplifying the lives of patients, improving blood sugar management, and reducing diabetes-related complications.
In the year 2022, the UK's National Health Services (NHS) launched a trial for a specific artificial pancreas device called the Hybrid Closed Loop system. This system is a cutting-edge technology that utilizes a subcutaneous sensor to monitor blood sugar levels continuously and wirelessly communicates with an insulin pump to regulate insulin doses. Users can conveniently track sensor readings through a smartphone app. Although some manual carbohydrate counting is necessary to ensure accuracy, the overall technology aims to simplify the lives of patients, improve blood sugar management, and reduce diabetes-related complications.
Following a successful pilot trial involving 835 individuals with Type 1 diabetes, the NHS officially approved the Hybrid Closed Loop system for public use in December. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) endorsed the NHS's implementation of this technology in December 2023.
This transformative technology has the potential to prevent life-threatening hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic episodes that can result in seizures, comas, or fatalities among individuals with Type 1 diabetes.
Dr. Clare Hambling, the national clinical director for diabetes, highlighted the significant impact of this technology on patients' lives and clinical outcomes, emphasizing the NHS's commitment to deploying these cutting-edge devices across England within the next five years.
NICE recommends extending device usage to children, young people under 18 with type 1 diabetes, pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, and adults with type 1 diabetes maintaining an HbA1c level of 58mmol/mol (7.5%).
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