“Diabetes Technology – Continuous Subcutaneous Insulin Therapy and Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Adults: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline,” was published online and appearing in the November 2016 print issue of The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, a publication of the Endocrine Society.
“Studies have found that people with Type 1 diabetes who use CGMs are able to maintain better control of their blood sugar without increasing episodes of hypoglycemia when blood sugar drops to dangerous levels, compared to those who self-monitor blood glucose with periodic fingersticks,” said Anne L. Peters, MD, of the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine in Los Angeles, CA, and chair of the task force that authored the guideline. “Scientific evidence supports the use of CGM technology in individuals with Type 1 diabetes whose blood sugar is above the targeted level as well as those whose blood glucose is well managed.”
The guideline task force also recommended the use of insulin pumps over multiple daily insulin injections in those with T1d who have not met their A1c goals and are will and able to use the device.
There you have it, the gold standard of care for Type 1 diabetes includes the use of CGM.
Read more: Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline recommends CGMs for Type 1 diabetes patients
Johnson & Johnson’s Letter on Cyber Bug in Insulin Pump, was mailed to all patients in the Animas diabetes unit on October 4, 2016, describing a cyber security vulnerability in its Animas OneTouch Ping insulin pump, as reported by Reuters.com.
“We have been notified of a cybersecurity issue with the OneTouch® Ping®, specifically that a person could potentially gain unauthorized access to the pump through its unencrypted radio frequency communication system. We want you to know that Animas has investigated this issue and has worked with the appropriate regulatory authorities and security experts, as we are always evaluating ways to further ensure patient safety and security.
We also want to assure you that the probability of unauthorized access to the One Touch® Ping® System is extremely low. It would require technical expertise, sophisticated equipment and proximity to the pump, as the OneTouch Ping® system is not connected to the internet or to any external network. In addition, the system has multiple safeguards to protect its integrity and prevent unauthorized action.”
Read more: Johnson & Johnson letter on cyber bug in insulin pump
Sanofi Moves to Block a Generic Lantus … Again, according to an article in Insulin Nation, 9/23/2016.
In September 2016, Sanofi filed a patent lawsuit against fellow drugmaker, Merck & Co., to block them from releasing a biosimilar insulin that is supposed to copycate Lantus, according to a FiercePharma report. Apparently, Sanofi filed a similar lawsuit against Eli Lilly in 2014, which was settled in 2015.
Kind of takes your breath away, doesn’t it?! Reminds me of another lawsuit by Medtronic against Deltec/Smith’s Medical and their Cozmo insulin pump … which was the ultimate demise of our beloved Cozmo!
Read more: Sanofi Moves to Block a Generic Lantus…Again
Penn Pairs Chronically Ill Patients With Medical Students to Create Better Doctors, according to a news release from the Penn Medicine Publication.
LEAPP Program (Longitudinal Experience to Appreciate Patient Perspectives), based out of Penn Medical School, aims to teach first year medical students about what it’s like to live with a chronic illness. It’s a required part of the Penn medical education program. Medical students are paired up with a patie nt living with a chronic illness and they shadow them for 18 months.
As one patient responded about the value of this program, “I can’t think of anything more valuable than this program for medical students. Sure, they learn about the body and the anatomy, but what they don’t learn — and what they can’t learn from anyone but the patient — is what that patient needs above and beyond the strict medical and record-keeping. All the tests that we endure tell my doctor a lot about what’s going on with me physically but unless he asks more personal questions or unless I reveal more about my life, he’s not going to know everything else that’s going on with me.”
Time to start asking your local university medical schools, “What about LEAPP?” I, for one, would love the experience that interaction, help the next generation of medical students understand how to treat the whole patient, not just the disease.
