Type 1 diab etes is a disease in which the primary problem is a shortage of insulin in the patient's body. It is for this reason that the treatment of this condition is based on administering the missing substance, i.e. the pancreatic hormone, to the body.

Patients can administer insulin to themselves, but it is also possible for it to be supplied to the body using an insulin pump (sometimes referred to colloquially as an artificial pancreas). This model of insulin therapy is particularly useful in the case of type 1 diabetes in children - the effectiveness of such treatment was recently evaluated by US researchers.

The researchers focused on a group of 105 children who were treated with an insulin pump. The patients ranged in age from seven to 13 years, with an average duration of 5.6 years. Among other things, patients had their glycated haemoglobin levels determined before starting pump treatment. The final results of the analyses were compared to those of older adolescents and adults.

The results were quite satisfactory. In fact, it turned out that, thanks to the use of an insulin pump, it was possible to achieve a satisfactory drop in blood glycated haemoglobin levels in a fairly short time. The desired blood glucose range was also reached relatively quickly in children with type 1 diabetes. The authors of the study also emphasised that neither severe hypoglycaemic episodes nor incidents of ketoacidosis were reported in the subjects during their observations.

The artificial pancreas in the form of an insulin pump thus appears to be an extremely beneficial solution for the treatment of type 1 diabetes in children. Let us hope that the availability of this equipment for sick young patients will continue to increase.