Researchers at the University of Cambridge, UK, have succeeded in testing an artificial pancreas developed to help patients with type 2 diabetes, a disease that causes the body to lose control of blood sugar levels that are too high. high and can damage the kidneys, eyes, nerves and cause cardiovascular disease. With the device, which works with algorithms, the scientists managed to get patients to maintain healthy glucose levels twice as long as conventional treatments.
In the study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, the researchers tested the equipment on a group of 26 patients with the condition. The artificial pancreas consists of a glucose monitor and an insulin pump connected to an app called CamAPS HX, which works with an algorithm that can predict how much insulin the body needs to keep glucose at the right levels. The device works fully automatically.
The volunteers were divided into two groups for the eight-week tests. The first the member received during this period and then used daily injections of insulin, which is the standard treatment to control the disease. The other group did the opposite.
Also Read: Lung Cancer: Know the First Ten Signs of The Disease
The results showed that using the artificial pancreas, the patients were 66% of the time within the target range for blood glucose levels – 3.9 and 10.0 mmol/L -. Without the device the period was 32%.
Regarding the average glucose levels, the decrease was 12.6 mmol/L when treatment with insulin was performed. With the organ, the reduction was 12.6 mmol/L.
Many people with type 2 diabetes struggle to control their blood sugar levels with currently available treatments, such as insulin injections. Charlotte Boughton, one of the study authors, said the artificial pancreas could provide a safe and effective way to help them. “The technology is easy to use and can be safely implemented at home,” adds the researcher. The team plans to expand the study, in the future, to submit it for approval by regulatory agencies.
Levimar Araujo, head of the diabetes division of the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism (SBEM), points out that this type of device is already used in patients with type 1 diabetes and that it may be an option for people with type 2 decompensation, for What is most important is disease control and following good habits to avoid complications.
“Type 2 diabetes only needs insulin after a long period of poor control. Throughout the study, they emphasize the importance of good nutrition. And I would say that in addition to diet and physical activity, we should look at medications that help control weight. But it is more than just an alternative “.
