• Type 1 diabetes is a chronic disease in which the body fails to produce enough, or any, insulin to properly regulate blood glucose (sugar) levels.1 In America, one in 250 adults has this disease,2 along with one in 7,000 children.3 Most people are diagnosed before they turn 40.4

  • People with type 1 diabetes need to monitor their blood glucose levels several times a day and inject precise amounts of insulin to maintain the proper blood glucose levels in their body. Not doing so can lead to major health problems including diabetic comas, heart disease, blindness, kidney damage and even death.

  • Diabetes (type 1 and 2) exacts a huge human and financial cost on our health care system and totaled $132 billion in 2002. Of this amount, only $23.2 billion was for diabetes care.5 Most of the total cost was associated with consequences of failing to properly manage the disease. These costs included $24.6 billion for chronic diabetes-related complications, $44.1 billion for excess prevalence of general medical conditions, and $40.8 billion in indirect costs resulting from lost workdays, restricted activity days, mortality and permanent disability due to diabetes.1

  • Controlling blood glucose levels is both life-saving and cost-saving. A recent study confirmed that insulin pumps are more effective than multiple daily insulin shots at helping people with type 1 control their blood glucose levels, and can lower the total daily insulin dose they need.6 Patients with well-controlled diabetes report higher retained employment rates, greater productive capacity, less absenteeism, and fewer bed or restricted-activity days.7

  • Insulin pumps deliver insulin 24 hours a day through a catheter placed under the skin attached to a pager-sized programmable device that sends precise doses of insulin into the abdomen. The amount of insulin delivered is changed based on what a person eats and their individual body metabolism. Future generations of insulin pumps may be designed to automatically adjust and administer insulin based on the individual’s blood glucose readings. These pumps will be especially helpful for young children with type 1 diabetes, since the pumps work automatically without needing to be continually programmed.

  1. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. “Type 1 Diabetes.” http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000305.htm (16 May 2006).

  2. WebMd — in association with the Cleveland Clinic. “Type 1 Diabetes.” http://www.webmd.com/content/article/59/66847 (16 May 2006).

  3. University of Pennsylvania Health Systems. “Type 1 Diabetes” http://www.pennhealth.com/ency/article/000305.htm (16 May 2006).

  4. National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse. “Type 1 Diabetes” http://diabetes.niddk.nih.gov/dm/pubs/statistics/index.htm (16 May 2006).

  5. American Diabetes Association. “Direct and indirect costs of diabetes in the United States.” http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-statistics/cost-of-diabetes-in-us.jsp. (14 April 2006).

  6. Crawford, L. “Insulin Pump Better Than Multiple-Shot Regimen for Diabetics.” http://www.webmd.com/content/article/25/1728_58296.htm (16 May 2006).

  7. Testa MA, Simonson DC. “Health economic benefits and quality of life during improved glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: a randomized, controlled, double-blind trial.” The Journal of the American Medical Association 280 (1998):1490-1496.

 
Tell a Friend! Click here to forward a link to Progress You Can See.
Value: Medical technology lowers social costs by getting people back to work and life. Dependability: Using the highest safety standards, medical technology improves patient outcomes. Innovation: The unique interaction between patients, physicians, medical innovators and legislative champions drives breakthroughs in medical technology.