Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Exclusive: Artificial pancreas trial hailed as ‘new era for healthcare’

Exclusive: Artificial pancreas trial hailed as ‘new era for healthcare’

AN artificial pancreas trial currently running in the UK will help the healthcare sector leap to a new digital era, the NHS national speciality adviser for diabetes has said.

As many as 1,000 NHS patients with type 1 diabetes are taking part in a study where their blood sugar levels will be monitored and the amount of insulin given via a pump will be automatically adjusted. The trial started on July 19 at 25 adult centres, and six paediatric centres around the country; it is expected to be completed by August 2022.


Professor Partha Kar told Eastern Eye, “Patients can go home after the set-up is done (at a clinic). We can monitor data remotely, from the clinic. This will be the first trial of this kind and be the future for clinical trials going ahead. I think this’ll be a new digital chapter for the healthcare sector.

PSK pcture Professor Partha Kar

“The pandemic has fastened the change. And I think this is a good start.”

People with type 1 diabetes – who comprise eight per cent of people with diabetes in the UK - cannot produce enough insulin. They need daily doses of the hormone to keep blood sugar levels under control, delivered via an injector pen or a pump.

Under the new ‘closed loop technology’ trial, finger prick tests can be eliminated, and life-threatening hypoglycaemic attacks could be prevented.

Kar explained how the technology works.

“It’s called an artificial pancreas. We want to see whether we can create what the pancreas does inside the body. You have a sensor on the arm with a little pump on the hip.

“Instead of pricking your finger, you have a sensor that picks up the glucose level and that reading is transmitted to your insulin pump. You don't have to inject the insulin as the pump will work out how much insulin is needed and give you the necessary quantity,” Kar told Eastern Eye.

According to him, in the past three or four years, several companies have been developing artificial pancreas technology.

“But the issue is that you can't fund it without the evidence. So that’s what we're doing. We are saying, ‘let's put 1000 patients around the country- with different age groups, different needs - on this artificial pancreas. And let's see the result. Does it improve their glucose level, their quality of life? That’s what we are trying to find out through this trial.”

Medtronic, Tandem Diabetes Care, Dana (with Prof Roman Hovorka engineered algorithm) and Medtrum are the four major companies in the UK engaged in the development of the artificial pancreas.

Kar described the ongoing trial as crucial for diabetes treatment.

“The artificial pancreas trial is for type 1 diabetes patients. A positive outcome for this project can give a permanent solution to the disease. Then the healthcare sector can concentrate on type 2 diabetes, which is a bigger problem,” he said.

Type 2 diabetes is a lifelong disease where the insulin (which regulates blood sugar levels) is not effective and leads to high sugar in the blood. People with type 2 diabetes are said to have insulin resistance.

Kar said, “In UK about seven per cent of the population has type 2 diabetes. In India, it's a rising issue simply because of the higher risk of our ethnicity. More south Asian people in the UK are at risk.

“Our diet, lifestyle, consumption of sweets during religious festivals can lead to more people towards having type 2 diabetes. It is a rising issue. South Asians in the UK have got a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes than the average (white) population.

“Look at the data around Covid - people with diabetes were severely affected by the pandemic. The ongoing trial, I think, will create awareness about diabetes among people, irrespective of the type, which is a good thing.”

Kar pointed out that diagnosis of type 2 diabetes among younger people in the UK is an alarming trend due to modern lifestyle and lack of exercise.

However, the national diabetic adviser cautioned against drawing simplistic conclusions.

“What people should not assume is that if you have type 1 diabetes and you have an ‘artificial pancreas’, everything is sorted. Absolutely not. You still need a healthy lifestyle. It doesn't matter how artificial your pancreas is, without the right food and lifestyle you are at risk.”

More For You

Navratri festival in Wembley

A similar event held at the same site last year resulted in a planning enforcement notice being issued due to complaints of noise and disturbance.

Getty Images

Navratri festival in Wembley faces objections

A PROPOSED 10-day Hindu festival in Wembley, north London, has drawn objections over concerns about noise and disruption in the area.

Asian Events Media (AEM) has applied to Brent Council to host the Navratri celebration at Alperton Studios from September 22 to October 1, according to The London Standard.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pakistan rejects claim of China’s role in border clash

Asim Munir

Pakistan rejects claim of China’s role in border clash

PAKISTAN’S army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir on Monday (7) rejected Delhi’s allegation that his military received active support from longtime ally China in its conflict with India in May.

The Indian Army’s deputy chief, Lieutenant General Rahul Singh, said last week that China gave Islamabad “live inputs” on key Indian positions.

Keep ReadingShow less
Modi courts Latin nations to expand trade relations

Christine Kangaloo awards Narendra Modi with the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago last Friday (4)

Modi courts Latin nations to expand trade relations

INDIA’S prime minister, Narendra Modi met Argentine president Javier Milei in Buenos Aires last Saturday (5), urging the expansion of New Delhi’s preferential trade deal with South America’s Mercosur bloc.

The bilateral talks with Milei were the latest in Modi’s whistle-stop diplomatic tour culminating in the summit of Brics emerging economies which began last Sunday (6) in Brazil.

Keep ReadingShow less
Minister 'open to talks' on British Sikh regiment

Lord Coaker (Photo: UK Parliament)

Minister 'open to talks' on British Sikh regiment

A FRESH parliamentary initiative to establish a dedicated Sikh regiment within the British Army has gained momentum in the House of Lords, with defence minister Lord Coaker expressing willingness to engage in further discussions about the long-debated proposal.

The issue was raised in the House of Lords on Monday (7) by Labour peer Lord Sahota, who asked whether there had been any progress on long-standing calls for a Sikh regiment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Heatwave Alert: Don’t Leave Contraceptives or Medication in Cars

Heat can also damage everyday items like sunglasses, suncream and vape devices

iStock

Drivers warned to remove contraceptives and medication from cars during UK heatwave

Highlights:

  • Experts urge motorists to avoid leaving certain items in vehicles during upcoming heatwave
  • Temperatures expected to rise above 30°C across large parts of the UK
  • Contraceptives and common medications can lose effectiveness in high heat
  • Heat can also damage everyday items like sunglasses, suncream and vape devices

Drivers urged to act as UK braces for extended heatwave

Drivers across the UK are being urged to remove a range of everyday items from their cars ahead of a predicted heatwave, with experts warning that the rising temperatures could pose both safety and health risks.

The Met Office has forecast a prolonged spell of hot weather, with temperatures expected to soar into the low 30s on Thursday and Friday. Much of the UK is likely to hit its regional heatwave threshold by the weekend, with this episode potentially affecting a wider area and lasting longer than previous hot spells.

Keep ReadingShow less