Type 1 diabetes is a disease in which the immune system attacks the cells of the pancreas, thereby preventing the production of insulin. In contrast, type 2 diabetes, much more common, is generally due to insulin resistance and is often associated with lifestyle and genetic factors. Dr. Tuneu, head of the Endocrinology service at the Sagrat Cor University Hospital in Barcelona, ??differentiates it clearly. “While type 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in young people and requires external administration of insulin from the beginning, type 2 can be managed initially with lifestyle changes and oral medications, and in some cases may also require insulin.”
Glucose management
Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease that affects millions of people around the world. It is characterized by deficient production of insulin by the pancreas, which requires rigorous management of blood glucose through the administration of insulin according to blood glucose values, and the carbohydrates ingested, in addition to other changes. in lifestyle. This condition, if not managed properly, can lead to serious health complications.
The treatment of type 1 diabetes focuses on strict glycemic control, traditionally through multiple insulin injections or through continuous glucose infusion through insulin pumps (CSII), all accompanied by diet control and of physical activity. For years, patients with type 1 diabetes have also used sensors that allow them to detect and control glucose continuously, that is, twenty-four hours a day, which allows them to refine the adjustment of treatments and improve the quality of patients’ lives. The linking of these sensors (continuous glucose monitors) with ISCI pumps has managed to create automated insulin administration systems with automatic suspension of insulin infusion in hypoglycemia and also in prediction of hypoglycemia, with the consequent restart when it is reached. normoglycemia. Currently, there are hybrid automated systems composed of an insulin pump, sensors and a control algorithm that are called closed-loop hybrid automated systems, which function almost like an “artificial pancreas”, since they are programmed to release insulin in situations of hyperglycemia. and stop the infusion in low glucose situations. The term hybrid reflects the combination of automated insulin administration directed by an algorithm and the combination of the insulin dose for each meal that each patient must start (non-automated), depending on the carbohydrates they are going to ingest.
Hybrid closed loop systems
In this context, the Sagrat Cor University Hospital has begun the implementation of hybrid automated systems for patients with type 1 diabetes (Medtronic 780G). The implemented system provides substantial improvements in disease management, including a notable reduction in the incidence of severe hypoglycemia and an improvement in time in range, a key indicator in diabetes control, to improve patient health. , as well as their quality of life.
Doctors Tuneu also points out that “the use of these hybrid systems has changed the lives of patients by reducing the burden of insulin treatment, obtaining better results, which leads to a greater sense of well-being and control and, what is more Importantly, it is a great first step towards achieving full automation of insulin delivery.”
The Sagrat Cor University Hospital project is a testament to the potential that medical technology has to revolutionize the management of chronic diseases like this, which affects millions of people around the world.