HOUSTON – A medical breakthrough could be life-changing for people with Type 1 diabetes, a condition in which the pancreas makes little insulin, or none at all.
Doctors are hailing the so-called "artificial pancreas" as a game changer for millions with the disease.
For Jamie Kurtzig, 13, and her mother, Sara, checking Jamie's blood sugar levels during the day is routine. They've been doing it since she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just 19 months old.
But, at night, if her blood sugar drops, Jamie could easily have a seizure or even fall into a coma.
"For 10 years, we just set alarms and get up, usually every two to three hours to do a check to make sure that she's in a safe range," Sara said.
But this new device, which is placed just under Jamie's shoulder, is changing all that. Dubbed an artificial pancreas or closed-looped insulin delivery system, it checks glucose levels every five minutes and wirelessly alerts Jamie's pump, which then delivers the correct dose of insulin.
"And so I can just go to bed and wake up,and be in auto mode and perfect blood sugar," Jamie said.
Jamie is part of a trial that helped prompt the Food and Drug Administration to approve the device. It's being hailed as a historic step towards treating diabetes. But doctors warn this is not a cure.
"This is a car analogy: that you are still driving, putting on the gas, putting on the brakes and making the turns, and it is not an autopilot car," Dr. Bruce Buckingham said.
Jamie will have to manage her diabetes her entire life. But at least for now, she and her family can get a good night's sleep.
For pediatric diabetics, 75 percent of all seizures occur at night. Researchers are hoping the artificial pancreas device will decrease those numbers dramatically. The system is not an option for most people with Type 2 diabetes, which is the more common form of the disease.
