Diabetes insulin pumps have a positive effect on blood glucose levels

Treatment for Type 1 Diabetes: Insulin pumps have a positive impact on quality of life

Health experts say more and more children are suffering from type 1 diabetes. Many of the young patients are being treated with an insulin pump. This brings significant advantages over injection therapy with a pen or syringe. According to experts, the treatment has a positive effect on the blood sugar levels and the quality of life of those affected.

Over seven and a half diabetics in Germany

According to experts, about 7.6 million Germans are diabetic. More than 90 percent of sufferers suffer from type 2 diabetes. They can often bring the disease naturally under control. It is important to eat healthily, to exercise regularly and to reduce possible overweight. However, patients with type 1 diabetes always require insulin therapy. More than half of all young people with type 1 diabetes use an insulin pump in Germany. This comfortable, safe and successful therapy brings, according to several studies, especially in children advantages over an injection therapy with a pen or syringe.

More and more children are suffering from type 1 diabetes. In studies, it has been shown that an insulin pump has advantages over injection therapy with a pen or syringe. (Image: rkris / fotolia.com)

Positive therapy effects

The German Diabetes Association (DDG) refers in a communication to a high-ranking publication in the journal "JAMA", which underlines the positive therapeutic effect.

In addition, another recently published study shows that the quality of life of those affected by treatment with insulin pumps increases.

According to the DDG, this applies in particular to children with type 1 diabetes.

Prevent life-threatening complications

So-called CSII systems ("continuous subcutaneous insulin infussion") such as the insulin pump are becoming more common in Germany.

In 1995, just under one percent of patients with Type 1 diabetes use insulin pumps, and now more than half of those affected are under 20 years old and over 90 percent in children under the age of six.

The device regularly delivers insulin into the body through a subcutaneously placed needle.

"According to the current international knowledge in diabetology, insulin pumps are currently the safest method in patients with high blood glucose levels to keep the long-term blood glucose HbA1c low and hypoglycaemia or acute insulin deficiency (ketoacidosis) - a life-threatening complication," said DDG President Professor med. Dirk Müller-Wieland.

Patients with insulin pump have less severe hypoglycaemia

The results of a recent publication in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) show that patients benefit from an insulin pump.

Over a period of five years, the study authors investigated the added value of insulin pump therapy in more than 30,500 patients with type 1 diabetes by comparing the respective therapeutic results of insulin pump carriers with classic insulin injections.

In doing so, they obtained their information from the Diabetes Patient Progress Documentation (DPV), in which over 400 institutions from Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and Switzerland participate.

This system covers approximately 80 percent of all patients with Type 1 diabetes from these countries.

"The results are clear: Patients with insulin pumps have less severe hypoglycaemia and, more rarely, diabetic ketoacidosis and overall better glucose levels than patients who received conventional injection therapy," said DDG board member Professor. med. Andreas Neu.

Favorable psychosocial effect in children with diabetes

In addition to the positive metabolic effect, the use of insulin pumps also has a beneficial psychosocial effect in children with diabetes and their parents.

This is shown by a study by researchers from the German Working Group on Pediatric Pump Therapy (agip), published in the journal Pediatric Diabetes.

"The quality of life of those affected increases significantly, as parents are relieved in the regular blood sugar control and insulin supply and have significantly safer in everyday life," said Neu, the senior physician in the Diabetes Outpatient Department in the Department of Paediatrics at the University Hospital Tübingen is.

"Because the blood sugar level in children is subject to frequent fluctuations. Irregular exercise and food intake as well as growth spurts of the young patients have a significant effect on the sugar metabolism. This often requires faster insulin adjustments to prevent serious side effects. "

Users must be well trained

In the "S3 guideline for the treatment of type 1 diabetes", the experts also recommend therapy with an insulin pump, especially in cases of frequent hypoglycaemia, very fluctuating blood sugar levels and inadequate glycemic control.

Professor med. Thomas Haak, chief physician of the Diabetes Clinic at the Diabetes Center Mergentheim and coordinator of the S3 guideline, adds: "An important prerequisite for successfully implementing an insulin pump therapy is that the patient and the parents master the intensified insulin therapy - ie they are well-trained."

In addition, the attending physician should have extensive experience with this therapy and be able to offer the patient comprehensive training. (Ad)