The American health watchdog FDA has approved an app from Tandem Diabetes Care for administering insulin. The app is connected to a linked insulin pump that the diabetes patients wear. This means they no longer have to manually operate the insulin pump. The new feature will soon be available via a free software update for a selected group of diabetes patients who inject bolus insulin.
t: smart and t: connect
Diabetes patients who have the t:smart X2 use an insulin pump, will soon send via the t: connect app dosing instructions to the insulin pump. According to the company, it is the first approved Android and iOS app that allows diabetes patients to dose insulin delivery. Previously, diabetes patients could only set doses directly via the insulin pump.
In addition to this dosing function, the app also provides information about glucose trends over the past 24 hours, changes in pump status and data about previous insulin administrations. Users also receive alerts and notifications about the insulin pump via the app. The app will be available for selected groups from spring. A broader rollout is planned from the summer, once the user experience of the selected groups is positive.
John Sheridan, president and CEO of Tandem Diabetes Care, said in a statement: “Providing a meal bolus is now the most common reason for an interaction between a person and their pump, and the ability to do so using a smartphone app offers a convenient and discreet solution.”
What is bolus insulin?
Via an insulin pump spraying diabetes patients basal insulin or bolus insulin. Basal insulin works longer and keeps glucose levels stable during the day and night through gradual, rapid-acting doses. These dosages depend on the patient's personal insulin needs. The advantage is that blood sugar levels can be better regulated.
The software update for the t: connect app is intended for administering bolus insulin. The bolus is an extra dose of insulin that diabetes patients administer with each meal or a snack containing many carbohydrates. This prevents high glucose levels. Diabetic patients cannot normally pre-program bolus insulin doses. The number of units of the dose differs each time and depends on the blood sugar level, the meal and the physical exertion.
Tandem Diabetes Care
Tandem Diabetes Care was founded in 2006 and is based in San Diego, USA. More than $400 million in capital has already been raised from investors. The first insulin pump, the t:slim, was developed based on feedback from 4000 interviews with diabetes patients and healthcare professionals. In 2011 they received approval to market this insulin pump. At the time, it was the first insulin pump to have a touchscreen.
Diabetes treatment compliance is important
Type 1 diabetes patients in particular must inject insulin themselves or wear a pump. Therapy compliance is very important for this group to stay healthy. Last year, the RIVM developed one method to calculate the effect of diabetes on life expectancy and the risk of death. The GP's Nivel figures are linked to the mortality figures from Statistics Netherlands.
Last October, the RIVM published the first research results together with Nivel. This showed that Dutch people aged 45 with type 1 diabetes live on average 13 years shorter than people without this form of diabetes. It also appears that type 1 patients, aged between 45 and 60 years, are five times more likely to die compared to their peers without diabetes.