Use of insulin pump therapy is associated with reduced hospital-days in the long-term: a real-world study of 48,756 pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes

Insulin Pump Use and Diabetic Ketoacidosis Risk in Type 1 Diabetes: Secular Trends over Four Decades

Introduction: Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) in type 1 diabetes has been regarded as a major diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) risk factor. We aimed to determine secular trends in risk since CSII implementation in the 1980s. Research Design and Methods: We assessed the relationship between time-varying CSII use and DKA events from 1983 to 2017 and by each decade in the 1441 Diabetes Control and Complications Trial/Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications Study participants using crude and adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Time-varying CSII exposure was associated with significantly higher DKA risk in the 1980s (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] 5.81; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.28-10.29; P < 0.001), but in the 2010s, this risk was not significantly elevated (adjusted HR 1.24; 95% CI 0.73-2.12; P = 0.43). Conclusions: DKA risk associated with CSII in type 1 diabetes has declined substantially since the 1980s such that the remaining risk in the past decade appears to be of low magnitude.

Use of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Pump Therapy Sensor Augmented Pump or Automated Insulin Delivery in Different Age Groups (0.5 to <26 Years) With Type 1 Diabetes From 2018 to 2021: Analysis of the German/Austrian/Swiss/Luxemburg Diabetes Prospective Follow-up Database Registry

AIM

Insulin pump, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and sensor augmented pump (SAP) technology have evolved continuously leading to the development of automated insulin delivery (AID) systems. Evaluation of the use of diabetes technologies in people with T1D from January 2018 to December 2021.

METHODS

A patient registry (Diabetes Prospective Follow-up Database [DPV]) was analyzed for use of SAP (insulin pump + CGM ≥90 days, no automated dose adjustment) and AID (HCL or LGS/PLGS). In total 46,043 people with T1D aged 0.5 to <26 years treated in 416 diabetes centers (Germany, Austria, Luxemburg, and Switzerland) were included and stratified into 4 groups A-D according to age. Additionally, TiR and HbA1c were analyzed.

RESULTS

From 2018 to 2021, there was a significant increase from 28.7% to 32.9% (sensor augmented pump [SAP]) and 3.5% to 16.6% (AID) across all age groups, with the most frequent use in group A (<7 years, 38.8%-40.2% and 10.3%-28.5%). A similar increase in SAP and AID use was observed in groups B (7 to <11 years) and C (11 to <16 years): B: +15.8 PP, C: +15.9 PP. HbA1c improved significantly in groups C and D (16 to <26 years) (both P < .01). Time in range (TiR) increased in all groups (A: +3 PP; B: +5 PP; C: +5 PP; D: +5 PP; P < 0.01 for each group). Insulin pumps (61.0% versus 53.4% male) and SAP (33.5% versus 28.9% male) are used more frequently in females.

CONCLUSION

In recent years, we found an increasing use of new diabetes technologies and an improvement in metabolic control (TiR) across all age groups.

Single-arm, first-in-human feasibility study results for an ultra-low-cost insulin pump

BACKGROUND

Use of Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Infusion (CSII) has been shown to improve glycemic outcomes in Type 1 Diabetes (T1D), but high costs limit accessibility. To address this issue, an inter-operable, open-source Ultra-Low-Cost Insulin Pump (ULCIP) was developed and previously shown to demonstrate comparable delivery accuracy to commercial models in standardised laboratory tests. This study aims to evaluate the updated ULCIP in-vivo, assessing its viability as an affordable alternative for those who cannot afford commercially available devices.

METHODS

This first-in-human feasibility study recruited six participants with T1D. During a nine-hour inpatient stay, participants used the ULCIP under clinical supervision. Venous glucose, insulin, and β-Hydroxybutyrate were monitored to assess device performance.

RESULTS

Participants displayed expected blood glucose and blood insulin levels in response to programmed basal and bolus insulin dosing. One participant developed mild ketosis, which was treated and did not recur when a new pump reservoir was placed. All other participants maintained β-Hydroxybutyrate < 0.6 mmol/L throughout.

CONCLUSION

The ULCIP safely delivered insulin therapy to users in a supervised inpatient environment. Future work should focus on correcting a pump hardware issue identified in this trial and extending device capabilities for use in closed loop control. Longer-term outpatient studies are warranted.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial was prospectively registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12623001288617) on the 11 December 2023.

Evaluating usability of and satisfaction with mHealth app in rural and remote areas-Germany GIZ collaboration in Bosnia-Herzegovina to optimize type 1 diabetes care

Background

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) management in children and adolescents requires intensive supervision and monitoring to prevent acute and late diabetes complications and to improve quality of life. Digital health interventions, in particular diabetes mobile health apps (mHealth apps) can facilitate specialized T1DM care in this population. This study evaluated the initial usability of and satisfaction with the m-Health intervention Diabetes: M app, and the ease of use of various app features in supporting T1DM care in rural and remote areas of Bosnia-Herzegovina with limited access to specialized diabetes care.

Methods

This cross-sectional study, performed in February-March 2023, evaluated T1DM pediatric patients who used the Diabetes: M app in a 3-month mHealth-based T1DM management program, along with their parents and healthcare providers (HCPs). All participants completed self-administered online questionnaires at the end of the 3-month period. Data were analyzed by descriptive statistics.

Results

The study population included 50 T1DM patients (children/parents and adolescents) and nine HCPs. The mean ± SD age of the T1DM patients was 14 ± 4.54 years, with 26 (52%) being female. The mean ± SD age of the HCPs was 43.4 ± 7.76 years; all (100%) were women, with a mean ± SD professional experience of 17.8 ± 8.81 years. The app was reported usable in the domains of ease-of-use and satisfaction by the T1DM children/parents (5.82/7.0), T1DM adolescents/young adults (5.68/7.0), and HCPs (5.22/7.0). Various app features, as well as the overall app experience, were rated positively by the participants.

Conclusion

The results strongly support the usability of mHealth-based interventions in T1DM care, especially in overcoming care shortage and improving diabetes management and communications between HCPs and patients. Further studies are needed to compare the effectiveness of apps used to support T1DM management with routine care.

Bench-Side Dose Accuracy of an Open-Source Ultra-Low-Cost Insulin-Pump, With Testing Conducted to IEC 60601-2-24

With the prevalence of diabetes higher than ever, governments and people with diabetes are facing significant treatment and indirect costs associated with managing their condition. An ultra-low-cost insulin pump is a possible solution to improving health disparities. This article presents test results for an insulin-pump built from low-cost components (bill of materials < $US100). All testing was completed in accordance with IEC60601-2-24, and results were benchmarked against a commercial pump. Results showed the ultra-low-cost pump has comparable accuracy to the commercially available insulin pump with testing displaying an overall accuracy of 0.089% and -0.392%, respectively. These results show that an ultra-low-cost pump can accurately deliver insulin in limited bench testing. Testing in other environments and scenarios is required to fully meet IEC60601-2-24 standards.

Insulin Pump Utilization in 2017-2021 for More Than 22,000 Children and Adults With Type 1 Diabetes: A Multicenter Observational Study

This large type 1 diabetes cohort study showed that insulin pump utilization has increased over time and that use differs by sex, insurance type, and race/ethnicity. Insulin pump use was associated with more optimal A1C, increased use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), and lower rates of diabetic ketoacidosis and severe hypoglycemia. People who used an insulin pump with CGM had lower rates of acute events than their counterparts who used an insulin pump without CGM. These findings highlight the need to improve access of diabetes technology through provider engagement, multidisciplinary approaches, and efforts to address health inequities.

Transition From Childhood to Adult Care in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes: 20 Years of Experience From the Tübinger Transition Study

AIMS

Transition from pediatric to adult care is difficult for patients with chronic diseases. In this study, factors associated with metabolic control in childhood-onset type 1 diabetes (T1D) after transfer to adult care were analyzed.

METHODS

Overall, 224 persons with T1D were contacted yearly from 1998 to 2019. They voluntarily answered a questionnaire about their current hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels, diabetes-associated complications, kind of care, living conditions, and family situation. Then, mixed longitudinal-cross-sectional analyses were carried out.

RESULTS

Overall, 190 patients answered at least once (mean age: 26.6 years). Diabetes complications were mentioned by 10 patients (5 microalbuminuria, 5 retinopathy). Most patients (92.6%) were in diabetes-specific care during the first year after transfer, with a trend to leave diabetes-specific care during the observation period. Patients in diabetes-specific care displayed lower HbA1c levels (%/mmol/mol) (7.1/54 vs. 7.5/58). An important predictor for HbA1c after transfer was HbA1c during the year before transfer (r=0.67, p <0.001). Patients living alone showed no difference in HbA1c levels from those living with their parents. Married patients had lower HbA1c levels (7.0/53 vs. 7.3/56, p<0.05) than unmarried ones. Patients with children (15.8%) presented lower HbA1c levels (6.9/52 vs. 7.3/56, p <0.01) than those without.

CONCLUSIONS

Good metabolic results are favored in patients followed-up in specialized care, are married, and are parents. We recommend transfer to a diabetologist with experience in T1D at an individual age.

Prevalence of and reasons for discontinuation of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion in people with type 1 diabetes: a systematic review

INTRODUCTION

The introduction of CSII in clinical care has led to more optimal glycemic and quality of life outcomes, compared with MDI. Despite this, some insulin pump users revert back to MDI. The aim of this review was to include the most recent rates of insulin pump discontinuation among people with type 1 diabetes and to identify reasons for and factors associated with discontinuation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic literature search was conducted using the Embase.com, MEDLINE (via OVID), PsycINFO and CINAHL databases. Titles and abstracts of eligible publications were screened and baseline characteristics of the included studies were extracted, as were variables in the context of insulin pump. Data were synthesized into themes: indications for insulin pump initiation, PWD-reported reasons for and factors associated with insulin pump discontinuation.

RESULTS

A total of 826 eligible publications were identified and 67 were included. Discontinuation percentages ranged from 0% to 30% (median 7%). The most frequently mentioned reasons for discontinuing were wear-related issues (e.g. device attached to the body, interference with daily activities, discomfort, affected body image). Related factors included HbA1c (17%), issues with following treatment recommendations (14%), age (11%), gender (9%), side-effects (7%), comorbidity- and complication-related factors (6%).

CONCLUSIONS

Despite many developments in technology insulin pump, discontinuation rates and PWD-reported reasons for and factors associated with insulin pump discontinuation in more recent studies were not that different from earlier reviews/meta-analyses. Successful insulin pump treatment depends on a knowledgeable and willing HCP team and a close match with PWDs wishes and needs.