The artificial pancreas increasingly effective in the treatment of diabetes
Nowadays, there are many artificial organs to treat different pathologies. In France, French researchers had tried the experiment with an artificial pancreas. They had fitted a diabetic patient with it, and he had spent the night in a hotel so that he could be monitored.
The Americans have pushed the experiment further . Indeed, 20 people were fitted with artificial pancreas . These, free of their activities, had only for obligation to remain close to the hospital of Boston. The experiment was also carried out on 32 teenagers in a camp for young diabetics (1) .
The pancreas
The pancreas is an abdominal organ, a gland attached to the digestive tract. It is located behind the stomach. It is a vital organ. It consists of 2 parts: the exocrine part and the endocrine part. It mainly secretes insulin, essential in the regulation of blood sugar levels. It also secretes glucagon (hyperglycemic hormone) and other pancreatic hormones (2) .
The study
The study candidates (the 2 groups) first used the artificial pancreas for 5 days. The artificial pancreas works as follows: it is made up of a continuous glycemia (blood sugar level) reader, as well as 2 pumps. One is an insulin pump, the other a glucagon. It also includes software installed on a mobile phone.
The 2 study groups then used their conventional insulin pumps.
The results
The Americans were surprised by the results of this experiment. Indeed, the device has reduced the number of hypoglycaemic attacks by 37% in adults, and by more than 50% in adolescents. The time spent in hypoglycaemia is also reduced in adults, dropping from 7.3% to 4.1%.
There is therefore a significant improvement in blood sugar, especially at night .
Conclusions
For people suffering from insulin-dependent diabetes, they are forced to inject insulin several times a day, and most often suffer from nocturnal hypoglycaemia. For these people, the artificial pancreas is a real solution for their well-being. Indeed, the artificial pancreas injects a dose of hormones automatically, throughout the day, according to the real needs of the patient, thus also avoiding nocturnal hypoglycaemia.
The results of the study show that the artificial pancreas has superior results compared to the conventional insulin pump, both in adults and adolescents, allowing patients to manage their blood sugar without constraint, and without fear of hypoglycemia.
Stephen Paul is the lead author and founder of My Health Sponsor. Holder of a diploma in health and well-being coaching with more than 200 articles in the field of health, he makes it a point of honor to offer advice based on reliable information, based on scientific research, and verified by health professionals.