Sam Brusco, Associate Editor03.17.23
Tandem Diabetes Care’s Control-IQ system was found to improve blood sugar control in children aged two to six with type 1 diabetes, according to a new University of Virginia (UVA) Health System clinical study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Tandem’s Control-IQ automatically monitors and regulates blood glucose. Dubbed the “artificial pancreas,” the system has an insulin pump (the t:slim X2 pump) with advanced control algorithms based on glucose monitoring information to adjust the insulin dose as needed.
Participants in the trial spent about three hours per day in their target blood sugar range compared to the control group relying on methods they were already using to manage glucose levels. On average, time spent in range was about 12% higher than the control group overall, and 18% higher during the overnight hours of 10 pm to 6 am.
“After the resounding success of Control-IQ technology in people ages 6 and up, it is very rewarding to see our youngest patients, and often the most challenging patients to help, benefit as well,” Marc D. Breton, Ph.D., a UVA School of Medicine researcher who served as the trial’s principal investigator, told the press. “With these results, we have now accumulated years of clinical validation of this system across all age groups and look forward to seeing this life-changing technology made available to the broadest possible population.”
Control-IQ was FDA approved for patients aged six and older with type 1 diabetes in December 2019.
Overall it was found participants could use the technology safely. There were two cases of severe hypoglycemia in the artificial pancreas group and one case of diabetic ketoacidosis as well, caused by failure of the thin plastic tube connecting the insulin pump to the body.
“At the end of the day, this technology significantly improved glycemia and ensured safety of our youngest patients, but perhaps just as importantly it lessened these families’ constant anxiety about glucose levels, especially during the night.” Breton said. “It is incredibly rewarding for us to hear about these families’ experiences and how they manage to integrate these new tools in their life, offering some reprieve to the challenges they face.”
Tandem’s Control-IQ automatically monitors and regulates blood glucose. Dubbed the “artificial pancreas,” the system has an insulin pump (the t:slim X2 pump) with advanced control algorithms based on glucose monitoring information to adjust the insulin dose as needed.
Participants in the trial spent about three hours per day in their target blood sugar range compared to the control group relying on methods they were already using to manage glucose levels. On average, time spent in range was about 12% higher than the control group overall, and 18% higher during the overnight hours of 10 pm to 6 am.
“After the resounding success of Control-IQ technology in people ages 6 and up, it is very rewarding to see our youngest patients, and often the most challenging patients to help, benefit as well,” Marc D. Breton, Ph.D., a UVA School of Medicine researcher who served as the trial’s principal investigator, told the press. “With these results, we have now accumulated years of clinical validation of this system across all age groups and look forward to seeing this life-changing technology made available to the broadest possible population.”
Control-IQ was FDA approved for patients aged six and older with type 1 diabetes in December 2019.
Overall it was found participants could use the technology safely. There were two cases of severe hypoglycemia in the artificial pancreas group and one case of diabetic ketoacidosis as well, caused by failure of the thin plastic tube connecting the insulin pump to the body.
“At the end of the day, this technology significantly improved glycemia and ensured safety of our youngest patients, but perhaps just as importantly it lessened these families’ constant anxiety about glucose levels, especially during the night.” Breton said. “It is incredibly rewarding for us to hear about these families’ experiences and how they manage to integrate these new tools in their life, offering some reprieve to the challenges they face.”
