Hundreds of adults and children with type 1 diabetes in England have been fitted with an artificial pancreas that experts say could become the "holy grail" for managing the disease.
The device uses a computer to determine the amount ofinsulin that should be given and it also reads blood sugar levels to keep them steady. The technology used in the trial has been found to be more effective at managing diabetes than current devices and it requires less input from patients.
It can be difficult to manage type 1 diabetes in young children due to variations in the levels of insulin required and unpredictability around how much patients eat and exercise. Children are particularly at risk of dangerously low blood sugar levels, which can damage the body or even lead to death.
A new artificial pancreas is being tested in 30 diabetes centers and is worn next to the body. In the first nationwide study of its kind in the world, about 900 people have benefited.
The technology can eliminate finger-prick tests to check blood sugar levels. It is thought that the devices will help cut costs by ensuring less need for interventions for type 1 cases.
Prof Partha Kar said that having machines monitor and deliver medication for diabetes patients sounds quite sci-fi-like, but when you think of it, technology and machines are part and parcel of how we live our lives every day.
A device picks up yourglucose levels, sends the reading across to the delivery system, and then the system kicks in to assess how muchinsulin is needed. It is not far away from a fully automated system where people with type 1 diabetes can get on with their lives without worrying about their blood sugar levels.
One of the first people to benefit from an artificial pancreas is six-year-old Charlotte Abbott-Pierce, who was diagnosed just over a year ago.
As part of the world's first pilot, she has been fitted with a pump and a monitor that work together.
Before the hybrid closed loop system was fitted, my husband and I would be up every two hours checking Charlotte's blood sugars and sometimes giving her injections.
Chris Askew, chief executive of Diabetes UK, said: "This technology has the potential to transform the lives of people with type 1 diabetes, improving both their quality of life and clinical outcomes."
The data collected from the pilot will be looked at by the National Institute for Health and Care excellence when it looks at rolling out the device more widely.
New research shows that slim people can get rid of type 2 diabetes if they manage their calories.
70% of participants with a low body mass index went into type 2 remission thanks to diet controlled weight loss, despite not being obese or overweight, according to a trial led by Prof Roy Taylor. 10% of sufferers have a lower body mass index, which lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes.
Millions of type 2 diabetics who were overweight were given hope when his previous landmark research showed it was possible to go into remission through careful weight loss. It showed that people with type 2 diabetes who lose fat from their pancreas and liver can get rid of the disease.
Researchers have found that it works for slimmer diabetics with a body mass index below 27. This is good news for everyone with type 2 diabetes.
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