For the first time, a team of researchers has published research into how a closed-loop insulin delivery system might help patients with type 2 diabetes manage their disease at home.
The study, described in a new paper published Wednesday in Nature Medicine, included 26 patients who tested out a so-called artificial pancreas, which works by pairing a glucose sensor with an insulin pump to automatically adjust doses of the drug. The system improved the time participants spent in their target glucose range by about 15%; its users also managed to avoid bouts of severe low glucose while reducing overall glucose levels.
Those results are particularly meaningful for the pool of patients included in the study: people who need regular dialysis for kidney failure, which can dramatically impact blood glucose levels. Many of the study’s participants also saw benefits in their everyday routines to manage their conditions, said Charlotte Boughton, lead author on the paper.
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