Study Highlights Heterogeneity in Insulin Needs Among People with Type 1 Diabetes - Video

Factors beyond carbohydrates substantially influence blood glucose levels, meaning current automated insulin delivery systems miss vital information required for glucose regulation, a new study has found.

A team of researchers from the University of Bristol analysing automated insulin delivery data from people with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) discovered that unexpected patterns in insulin needs are just as common as well-established ones.

The study, published in JMIRx Med aimed to identify patterns in changes of insulin needs and to analyse how frequently these occur in people with T1D who use the OpenAPS, a state-of-the-art, automated insulin delivery system (AID).heterogeneity,insulin,type 1 diabetes,t1d,aid,jmirx med

The principal treatment for T1D is insulin that is injected or pumped. The amount and timing of insulin must be skilfully matched to carbohydrate intake to avoid increased blood glucose levels. Beyond carbohydrates, various other factors such as exercise, hormones, and stress impact insulin needs. However, how often these factors cause significant unexpected effects on blood glucose levels has been little explored, meaning that despite all advances, insulin dosing remains a complex task that can go wrong and result in blood glucose levels outside the range that protects people with T1D from adverse health effects.

The findings highlight the complexity of glucose regulation in T1D and demonstrate the heterogeneity in insulin needs among people with T1D, underlining the need for personalised treatment approaches.

For factors beyond carbohydrates to become more systematically included in clinical practice, scientists need to find a way to measure and quantify their impact and utilise this information in insulin-dosing. This could also aid more accurate blood glucose forecasting, which the study showed is not consistently possible from information about insulin and carbohydrates alone.

Reference: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/news/2024/november/type-1-diabetes-study.html