For many diseases and conditions, scientists are looking tirelessly to find a treatment or, even better, a cure. That’s definitely the case with type 1 diabetes, which is one of the worst growing problems in the world. So when it was announced recently that there may be an excellent step forward in the way we fight the condition it was rightly treated as a very good thing.
It seems that the artificial pancreas, a treatment that’s been called the closest thing to a potential cure for type 1 diabetes, may be yet another step closer to becoming a reality. A team of researchers from Israel recently released their findings from an overnight trial of their artificial pancreas system at three different camps for children with type 1 diabetes.
The results of the study showed that the artificial pancreas system was able to maintain consistently better blood sugar levels, and helped prevent dangerous overnight drops in blood sugar levels, compared to an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitor which are currently used on people with the condition.
Type 1 diabetes is a dangerous and debilitating autoimmune disease. What happens is the body’s immune system turns against healthy cells, mistaking them for foreign bodies. In type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks beta cells inside the pancreas; this destroys the body’s ability to produce the hormone insulin. Insulin helps metabolise carbohydrates from food and fuels the body’s cells.
Unfortunately, you can’t get the level of insulin you need from a pill. It must be injected with a shot or delivered by a pump that uses a tiny catheter inserted under the skin. This catheter then has to be regularly changed.
This breakthrough could mean that quality of life would be much improved for sufferers as they would no longer have to worry about many of the dangers associated with the condition.
Comments are closed.