8
NEWS
T2D and
other risks
There are good reasons to try to
control T2D by weight loss. The
biggest study to date, involving
3m people with an average age
of 50, compared health data
of people with T2D and those
without. Professor Emanuele Di
Angelantonio from Cambridge
University, who led the project,
looked at 116 chronic long-term
illnesses and found people with T2D
typically developed 'middle-aged
health problems' five years earlier
than those without the condition.
Personalised care for T2D
The drive towards personalised care continues with the development of new
software called the Healum app. Results of an 18-month trial presented at
the Diabetes UK professional conference in March showed people who used
it had an average 9.5% reduction in HbA1c blood glucose compared with
2% reduction in a comparable control group. "A key challenge in long-term
condition management is to motivate and support patients to make healthy
choices and understand how to best manage their diabetes in a way that
means something to them," said Dr. Adrian Heald, a diabetes specialist from
Salford Royal Hospital, who led the National Institute of Health Researchfunded
study in Manchester. The app has so far been trialled in just 36
volunteers and the aim is now to collect data from a further 214 people to see
how it can best be adjusted and refined.
The app has been developed by the co-founders of Healum, Anuj Saboo
and Jonathan Abraham. They worked collaboratively with diabetes clinicians
throughout the project, helping to inform the design of the product so it can
work as a truly assistive technology to make doctors lives easier, and improve
outcomes for patients.
For more info on the trial, CLICK HERE.
Novo Nordisk smart pens
NovoPen® 6 and NovoPen Echo® Plus
are a new generation of insulin pens
that record dosing information over a
period of time. They are now available
to people living with diabetes on NHS
prescription.
People living with Type 1 diabetes
experienced a reduction in time spent
in hyperglycaemia and missed fewer
bolus injections, when using NovoPen
6 in an observational study.
Both models are reusable,
reducing their environmental impact,
in line with the company's Circular
for Zero environmental strategy.
The smart pens are insulin
injection pens that record dosing
information, including when and
how much insulin was administered.
This data can be uploaded to a
compatible app and viewed by
people living with diabetes and their
healthcare professionals. Currently,
insulin injection dosing information
is manually recorded in a log book
or app. However, in clinical practice,
incomplete or inaccurate information
on insulin dosing and timing can be
a significant barrier to optimising
glycaemic control.
NovoPen 6 and NovoPen Echo Plus
can allow healthcare professionals
to view their patient's insulin dosing
information, helping to facilitate
more productive consultations and
support personalised treatment
guidance. Remote access to this data
may also help to support a longerterm transition
from in-person to
virtual care, during and after the
Covid-19 pandemic, which could
also help alleviate pressure on health
system capacity.
Emma Wilmot, Consultant
Diabetologist, University Hospitals of
Derby and Burton NHS Foundation
Trust says of the innovation,
"Integrating innovative technology
as a routine part of diabetes care
is an important step to improve
diabetes care. Novo Nordisk's smart
connected pens are an example of
how technology can support people
living with diabetes to gain greater
insight into the management of
their diabetes, on their journey to
becoming experts in their diabetes.
In my clinic, the opportunity to view
daily insulin data will allow me to
better support the individual with
diabetes to achieve their goals. It will
allow for more tailored and informed
advice on optimisation of glucose
levels, with the ultimate goal of
improving future outcomes."
Results from an observational
study indicate that using NovoPen 6
to administer their insulin could give
people living with Type 1 diabetes
close to two extra hours of improved
glucose levels per day, with a
reduction in time spent in hyper- and
hypoglycaemia. A further analysis
looking at missed bolus doses (insulin
that is specifically taken at mealtimes)
indicated that NovoPen 6 decreased
the average daily number of missed
doses by 43% by the end of the study.