Managing Type 1 diabetes, often referred to as juvenile diabetes due to its typical diagnosis in younger individuals, presents one of the most significant challenges: maintaining blood sugar levels within a safe range while avoiding dangerously low levels. An artificial pancreas — a device that continuously monitors blood glucose, calculates the necessary insulin, and administers the required doses autonomously — can help ensure continuous vigilance and improve health outcomes for people with Type 1 diabetes, according to a study conducted on 39 participants from Kerala, Maharashtra, and Gujarat.

Maintaining stable blood sugar is already a difficult task for diabetics, but episodes of hypoglycemia can be even more hazardous. These drops in blood sugar can result in severe complications, such as heart rhythm irregularities, cardiac arrest, multiple organ failure, brain damage, and even coma if not addressed swiftly.

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the cells responsible for producing insulin, leading to insulin deficiency and difficulty managing blood glucose levels. This condition is not related to lifestyle but to the body's immune system mistakenly targeting its own insulin-producing cells.

The study uncovered several benefits of using the artificial pancreas. Firstly, the technology helped lower HbA1c (average blood sugar over three months), reducing it from 8.77% to 7.10% within two months in users of the automated insulin systems. While healthy individuals typically have an HbA1c below 5.7%, maintaining levels below 7% is crucial for diabetes patients to minimize complications.

Secondly, the use of the device increased the "time in range" — the percentage of time a person's blood sugar stays within safe limits — from 44.5% to 75.92%. For diabetics, it is recommended to maintain a time in range of at least 70%. Achieving this with traditional insulin injections or continuous glucose monitoring is incredibly difficult. Most people can only manage around 40%, with a few reaching 50-55%. Any attempt to push for higher time in range often results in dangerous low blood glucose levels, as explained by Dr. Jothydev Kesavadev, one of the researchers, at a conference in Singapore.

Additionally, the artificial pancreas reduced the amount of time blood glucose levels stayed below safe levels, decreasing the period from 5.25% to 1.67% after participants began using the device.

Maintaining blood glucose within a safe range is critical because prolonged periods of high or low blood sugar can lead to severe complications such as heart disease, stroke, nerve damage, and retinal damage. In India, where the condition is poorly managed, people with Type 1 diabetes lose an average of 45 years of productive life, compared to just 15 years in the UK. However, with proper management, individuals with Type 1 diabetes in India could enjoy longer, healthier lives. Technologies like automated insulin delivery systems play a vital role in achieving this goal, as emphasized by Dr. Jothydev Kesavadev.