United Kingdom's Diabetes 1 patients may soon better manage their conditions with an artificial pancreas, as the new technology is reportedly set to be offered by the country's National Health Service (NHS) organization.
About £10 billion, or 10% of the NHS's total budget, is said to be spent each year in England on diagnosing and treating diabetes. Local NHS services have received £2.5 million to begin treating patients, and they will begin by identifying eligible individuals with Type 1 diabetes.
(Photo: NIKLAS HALLE'N/AFP via Getty Images) David Burns, 38, who has type 1 diabetes, holds a vial of insulin in his home in North London on February 24, 2019.
Diabetes 1 patients, roughly tens of thousands of people in England, will be offered the new medical technology later this month. However, NHS administrators cautioned that it might take up to five years before everyone who qualifies could have one.
This is a result of the difficulties in finding enough of the gadgets and the requirement for additional staff training on their use. The device, referred to as a hybrid closed-loop system, enhanced quality of life and decreased the likelihood of long-term health issues in studies.
In the UK, type 1 diabetes affects over 300,000 individuals, including roughly 29,000 children. It indicates that their pancreas is unable to generate insulin, a crucial hormone involved in converting food into energy.
Artificial Pancreas' Benefits
The hybrid closed-loop system uses a sophisticated algorithm to calculate how much insulin, which is pumped to the wearer, is required to maintain stable blood sugar levels. Presently, diabetes patients must constantly check blood sugar, or glucose, levels and administer insulin to themselves, either by pump or injection, daily.
And that's what this new technology does automatically, almost like a pancreas. However, for it to function properly, food consumption data must still be entered during mealtimes. According to the NHS, doing this could stop potentially fatal hypo- and hyperglycemic episodes, which can cause seizures, comas, or even death in Type 1 diabetics.
5-Year Artificial Pancreas Plan
It has been dubbed a 'landmark moment' for type 1 diabetics as the NHS will provide an artificial pancreas for up to 150,000 people. For the majority of those with the illness, the world's first deployment will mean the end of uncomfortable finger prick blood testing and frequent injections.
According to NHS England, the widespread use of the artificial pancreas expands upon a fruitful trial of the technology, in which 835 adults and children with Type 1 diabetes were provided with devices to help better manage their illness.
One person who has already benefited is Les Watson, 64, of West Devon. Les has had Type 1 diabetes for almost 44 years. In addition to an insulin pump and an arm monitoring patch, he uses his phone to check his blood glucose levels.
The NHS laid out a five-year strategy for how to deliver the system for people who qualify after Nice approved its rollout last December.
Nice advises using it for people with type 1 who fall into specific groups, including children and people under the age of 18, pregnant women, and people whose HbA1c readings, which indicate long-term blood sugar levels, are 58 mmol/mol, or 7.5%, or higher.
Related Article: AI-Powered Women's Health App Quickens Endometriosis Diagnoses
(Photo: Tech Times)
