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KIT
A look ahead
Abbott Experts predict connectivity,
personalised care and focus on
Type 2 diabetes among key trends
in fighting diabetes over next
decade. A report revealed the next
decade of diabetes care should be
greeted with both optimism and a
resolve to overcome challenges of
unprecedented scale. The Future of
Diabetes Care - The Expert View,
released by Abbott, includes insight
from 20 leading diabetes experts
from across Europe. The report
highlights four key trends that will
shape the future of diabetes care -
connected technology, personalised
care, the urgency of Type 2 diabetes
and advances in therapies.
On connected technology, the
report highlights the increasing use
of hybrid closed-loop systems or
automated insulin delivery systems
(AIDs) as a reason for optimism.
Experts point to the potential impact
that artificial intelligence (AI) could
have on enhancing hybrid closedloop systems, with
greater accuracy
and higher personalisation delivering
tighter glycaemic control - and
getting us closer to an artificial
pancreas or fully closed-loop FreeStyle Libre 3.
This latest
investment is
a further vote
of confidence
in Ireland as a
location for worldclass advanced
manufacturing
and healthcare
businesses. With
the opening of this
new site, Ireland
is now at the
global centre of
diabetes care."
~ Simon Harris
system. Closed-loop systems are
fully automated and can measure
glucose levels in real time and deliver
the right amount of insulin into the
bloodstream.
The report also highlights the
extent to which more personalised
care will affect the next decade of
diabetes management. CGMs have
gone beyond looking at glucose data
for insulin dosing alone and provide
insights into a person's unique
glycaemic response to different foods
and lifestyle so people can adjust
their behaviour.
Of all the challenges identified by
the report, the most significant is the
urgency with which to tackle Type
2 diabetes. The report highlights
the expected rise in numbers and
contrasts this with already-stretched
health systems. Experts highlight
concerns that misunderstanding
about the condition has led to a
perception that people with Type 2
are 'to be blamed' for their condition,
leading to unintended health
consequences, such as not receiving
the care they need. According to
the report, experts are concerned
that people with Type 2 diabetes are
given access to tools such as CGMs
too late.
www.freestylelibre.co.uk
Abbott CEO Robert Ford (left) and Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris at the
opening of the new Kilkenny manufacturing site.