A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine showed that in young children with type 1 diabetes, closed-loop insulin delivery techniques may produce better glycemic results. Whether starting a closed-loop system virtually will be effective or safe is still being determined.

The study involved 102 kids; of whom 68 were in the closed-loop group and 34 were in the standard-care group); the baseline range of the glycated hemoglobin levels was 5.2 to 11.5%. Fifty-five patients (81%) had virtual closed-loop system initiation. This climbed from 56.7±18.0% at baseline to 69.3±11.1% throughout the 13-week follow-up period in the closed-loop group and from 54.9±14.7% to 55.9±12.6% in the conventional care group.

The percentage of time for which the blood sugar level was above 250 mg/dL, the mean blood sugar level, and the glycated hemoglobin level all showed similar treatment effects (favoring the closed-loop system), and without any significant between-group differences for the percentage of time that the blood sugar level was below 70 mg/dL.

In the closed-loop group, there were two cases of severe hypoglycemia, compared to one in the standard-care group. There was only one instance of diabetic ketoacidosis in the closed-loop group.

The glucose level was in the target range for a higher percentage of time with a closed-loop system than with a standard treatment in this research involving young children with type 1 diabetes.

(Source:1.    https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/989673#vp_22.    https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2210834)