Benefits of Implementation of Insulin Pump in People with Type 1 Diabetes: 10 Case Reports

Abstract

Ten people with type 1 diabetes (T1D), aged 28 to 57 years, with a duration of diabetes from 8 months to 47 years, attending an urban diabetes center, were retrospectively observed to assess the effects of intensive insulin treatment using continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (insulin pump) for a period ranging from 2 months to 30 years, controlled either by glucometer-strips systems or using sensors for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy were present in some of them. An assessment of changes in HbA1c, body mass, insulin requirements per day (INS/d), blood pressure, lipoproteins, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was used to determine treatment efficiency. In conclusion, a combination of adequate education, long-term therapy with an insulin pump, and early implementation of CGM appear to be the optimal approach to T1D management, resulting in improved diabetes control and/or enhanced quality of life for the users.