Surgically Implanted Insulin Pump Shows Promising Results
From Times staff and wire reports
The first clinical trial of a surgically implanted insulin pump in Type 2 diabetics has shown that it is just as effective at controlling blood sugar levels as multiple daily injections, but that freedom from injections produces a better quality of life. The study, reported in the Oct. 23 Journal of the American Medical Assn., was conducted on 105 men, ages 40 to 69, at seven VA medical centers.
Those patients who used the pumps, manufactured by MiniMed Technologies of Sylmar, were 68% less likely to develop hypoglycemia and did not gain weight during the yearlong study like those who received injections. Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes, affects at least 11 million Americans, one-third of whom require insulin.
