New Study Reveals Best Treatment For Children Suffering From Type 1 Diabetes

Monday - May 15 2023, 21:01 UTC - 1 year ago

A study published on diaTribe Learn found that a real-time continuous glucose monitor (CGM) plus an insulin pump had a "significantly" higher time in range of 70 percent for children suffering from type 1 diabetes. The article offered the Medtronic’sMiniMed 770G pump and a non-profit, Kyler Cares, was also founded to provide grants for CGMs and insulin pumps for those who can not afford them. The study was published in the JAMA journal and showed that the use of real-time CGM compared with intermittently scanned CGM was associated with improved glycemic control, showing the importance of policy changes for diabetic treatments.

According to a new study published on diaTribe Learn on Friday, finding the best treatment for children suffering from type 1 diabetes is finally just within our grasp.

The research found that a real-time continuous glucose monitor (CGM) plus an insulin pump had a "significantly" higher time in range of 70 percent. Dr. Klemen Dovc, pediatric endocrinologist at the University Children’s Hospital in Ljubljana, assistant professor at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia and lead of the new study, said that "curing diabetes is the ‘holy grail.’" He used a global data registry to sample 5,219 youths under 21 years old with type 1 diabetes from 21 different countries.

The article offered the Medtronic’sMiniMed 770G pump as one viable choice for diabetic children as it was the first automated insulin delivery (AID) system to be FDA-approved in 2020 for children as young as 2. "Type 1 diabetes is a family disease," said Dr. Robert Vigersky, chief medical officer for Medtronic Diabetes.Dr. Vigersky went onto say that "The MiniMed 770G system provides a high level of care participation for parents and care partners who can leverage remote monitoring capabilities." The technology was also a favorite amongst users. Marissa Town, clinical director at non-profit Children With Diabetes, said that "having insulin pumps that allow for more physiologic insulin dosing with flexibility for much smaller doses for small children and extended boluses for higher fat meals makes meeting targets more realistic." .

But can everyone afford these pumps? This is where non-profit Kyler Cares steps in, founded in 2018 by Kyle Banks, Broadway actor and person with type 1 diabetes, he offers grants for CGMs and insulin pumps to those who cannot afford them. Kyle claims to be receiving up to 10 applications for these tools per month. "The stakes are high for these families because unstable blood sugars can lead to long-term serious complications such as nerve damage, blindness and kidney disease," said Banks. He added that "many of these families are already struggling to pay for necessities such as food, housing and diabetes management supplies. Complications only exacerbate financial stress and the economic burden of the disease." .

The study was published in the JAMA journal and showed that the use of real-time CGM compared with intermittently scanned CGM was associated with improved glycemic control, but there are limited data available for youths, thus making it even more critical to implement policy changes regarding treatment for diabetic children.