Improve the quality of life of people with diabetes today can be: the future closer and closer

A Board of Pediatric Diabetologists presented a new document to recommend the use of the sensor for the blood sugar monitoring 100% of the time in teenagers with type 1 diabetes.
The recommendations arose from the experiences in real life with teenagers who use an integrated system consisting of microinphusor and continuous monitoring of blood sugar, capable of interrupting insulin delivery to prevent the hypoglycaemia.
In the path to artificial pancreas, the semi-automatic integrated system is already available in Italy today Minimed 640g, which used with a structured educational approach is able to give therapeutic results comparable with artificial pancreas systems today in the studio by the most important research groups worldwide.

Technology has already made enormous progress to improve the management of type 1 diabetes Both from a clinical point of view and for the quality of life of people who suffer from it thanks to micro -infusers for the administration of insulin and continuous measurement systems of the blood glucose levels.
In Italy there are already integrated systems which, thanks to an accurate monitoring of blood sugar and a sophisticated control algorithm,
allow to automatically and in advance the provision of insulin to avoid the ipogicemias, The most common and feared short -term complication.

“Until recently, the use of these devices explains Andrea Scaramuzza, Pediatric diabetology manager, Asst di Cremona,
and in particular of the continuous monitoring systems of glucose, according to the most optimistic estimates, no more than 30% of the boys between 13 and 18 years old.
The main resistances are due to the need to constantly wear these devices that are therefore experienced as “prostheses” and, not less,
from the poor accuracy of the first sensors.

A recent study published in the magazine Acta Diabetological1 He affected 38 teenagers with type 1 diabetes who used the minimed 640g integrated system which during a summer field followed an educational and motivational path and were monitored for a year to evaluate its clinical improvements and in the quality of life. After 6 months from the end of the field, 25 out of 38 boys were still using the sensor for 70–100% of the time recording for 74% of the time glucose values within the target between 70-160 mg/dl.
The excellent acceptance of this system by the boys depends primarily on intrinsic factors to the technology of this system, such as the very high accuracy of the sensor e SmartGuard algorithm To avoid hypoglycaemias before they occur, avoiding children to interrupt their activities to correct the glycemic value “.

Given the clinical success and the excellent acceptance of the system by the boys, and view the importance of creating an approach standardized to the educational phase, 8 pediatric diabetological centers throughout Italy gathered in a Sensor Experience Board, have spread a consent document for the use of the glycemic sensor in the integrated system, recently published in the international magazine Pediatric diabetes2.
These recommendations in the Italian version will be presented for the first time to the scientific community on the occasion of XXI National Congress SEDP to be held from 27 to 29 September in Padua. «This document Scaramuzza says He wants to be a summary of the good clinical practice for the use of the Minimed 640g with a use of the sensor for 100% of the time.
Another fundamental point, however, is the involvement and positive reaction of the boys at the beginning of this path: in fact we have verified that a good experience during the first month of use is essential to guarantee optimal and continuous adherence to therapy “.

The technological innovation of Medtronic For people with continuous diabetes on the path towards the artificial pancreas of which Ohad Cohen, Medical Affairs Director Medtronic Diabetes Emea He spoke presenting the latest results of Medtronic research.
To date, the most advanced technology already available in the United States is represented by a Hybrid Ansa closed system (Minimed 670g) which is able to dose insulin automatically during 24 hours, leaving the patient only the management of insulinto meals. This system represents the evolution of the system available in Italy and has received a positive welcome from patient associations and scientific communities.
The first real life data In fact, they confirm pre-market clinical studies by demonstrating how the use of the system in the self-modern mode allows to maintain blood sugar values in the normal range for 74% of the time with continuous use of the sensor (>95%).

“The use of advanced technologies – he declares Luigi Morgese, Director of the Medtronic Diabete division For the management of insulin dependent diabetes in Italy it is lower than that of the European average, in itself lower than the US average. In our country only 10% of the almost 300.000 people with type 1 diabetes resorts to insulin microinphusor (but without integrated sensor) against a European average of 20% and an American that rises to 40%.

The Italian percentages are further lowered if we look at the use of the integrated system and sensor for the continuous glycemic control and sensor. Embarking on a technological path for a person with diabetes and for the health system means investing in cost-effectiveness by analyzing the clinical results achieved as a result of the investment. We estimate that intelligent technology represents today in Italy about 5 per thousand of the expenditure for diabetes, its adoption can help improve the lives of many people in appropriateness and the management of care paths by reducing complications and improving outcomes and costs “.