I've got 99 Problems and a Functioning Pancreas is One

1.25 million Americans, including my little sister, best friend, aunt, and grandpa, currently live with Type One Diabetes- T1D as it is colloquially known. By 2050, that number is predicted to grow to 5 million- a 300% increase in just 30 years. I've witnessed up close and personal the fear and anxiety caused by this currently incurable disease, and the mortal danger it presents every single day.  For this reason, I have special incentive to learn more about the strides we are making to end it. Type One diabetes is an auto-immune disease that results from a failure to produce insulin- a hormone which allows our cells to take up glucose from the bloodstream. The reason your blood sugar doesn't spike up to 500 after chugging a can of soda (the healthy range being 80-120) is that as your blood sugar levels increase your pancreas secretes insulin, allowing cells to take in glucose. Once your blood sugar levels lower, the level of secretion of insulin decreases. It's a negative feedback loop! Unfortunately, in diabetics, the pancreatic beta cells that are responsible for insulin production are destroyed by their immune system, resulting in an inability to control the glucose levels of their blood. The subsequent hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia can have dangerous side-effects including nausea, dizziness, lethargy, loss of consciousness, and death. There are also long-term damages to bodily organs and systems that result from extended periods of unstable blood sugar levels.  This includes heart and blood vessel disease, neuropathy, kidney damage, higher risk of miscarriage and stillbirth, and blindness. Fortunately, we have developed technology to control our glucose levels to try and prevent such things from occurring. Groundbreaking research has been working towards the development of new methods for diabetes management, with the goal of turning type one into type none.
A new system called the "artificial pancreas" has been revolutionizing diabetes management ever since it hit the market last spring. Once a far-off dream, the "AP" is an enormous breakthrough! The artificial pancreas is an integrated system that monitors blood glucose levels automatically and provides the proper dose of insulin to correct it. It combines two of the most recent technologies available for diabetics, the continuous glucose monitor (a wearable device which provides constant and mostly accurate readings of your blood glucose levels) and the insulin pump (a wearable, programmable device which calculates and delivers insulin dosages into the bloodstream).

Continuous Glucose Monitor - Diabetes.co.

Insulin Pump- - www.medtronicdiabetes.com

Artifical Pancreas-www.medtronicdiabetes.com

The artificial pancreas automates blood-glucose management, dramatically reducing T1D-related risks and improving lives of people who have the disease. The AP monitors glucose levels around the clock and automatically provides the right amount of insulin at the right time. As this technology advances, we will have the ability to virtually eliminate episodes of hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. This closed-loop system replaces reliance on testing blood sugar by finger-prick or CGM and separate methods of delivering of insulin such as shots or a pump. The artificial pancreas has also made blood sugar management more precise and accurate. NIH research has found that early, tight control of blood glucose helps reduce diabetes complications including nerve, eye, and kidney diseases. For this reason, the artificial pancreas has the ability to vastly improve the lives of those burdened by T1D. Andrew Bremer, M.D., Ph.D., a program official from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) who is overseeing studies regarding AP systems affirms that "Managing type 1 diabetes currently requires a constant juggling act between checking blood glucose levels frequently and delivering just the right amount of insulin while taking into account meals, physical activity, and other aspects of daily life, where a missed or wrong delivery could lead to potential complications." The unification of T1D management into a single, integrated system could lift so much of that burden." It is a major stepping stone on the path to a cure.

My friend was recently lucky enough to receive one of these systems. He cannot emphasize enough how much his artificial pancreas has facilitated his diabetes management. He and his parents sleep much better at night knowing that if he were to suddenly go low at 3am, his AP would automatically correct it.  "Type one diabetes is a constant battle," he tells me. "With my artificial pancreas, I feel as though I've got a trusty sidekick in the fight against my persistent and deadly enemy."

My friend wearing his artificial pancreas

Type one diabetes is a scary and unforgiving disease. Maintaining blood sugar levels is an art more than it is a science. You can account for every variable and still end up dangerously high or low. You cannot take breaks from it- not for a single second of the day. Every day, however, we are coming closer and closer to the future I and so many of my loved ones dream about. I'm proud to say that some of the leading research into AP systems is being done by the University of Virginia- where I'll attend next fall. In the past 20 years, we've made amazing strides in diabetes management technology, and so many lives have been changed for the better because of it. For the first time in history, a cure is within sight.