Glucose control is the goal for any person with type 1 diabetes (T1D), an autoimmune disease in which insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas are mistakenly destroyed by the body’s immune system. That’s why Shane Bevilacqua, Executive Director of the Greater Palm Beach Chapter, says it’s crucial that people continue to attend and support events such as the 34th Annual Gem of an Evening Gala. The gala, which features live entertainment that will accompany a night of dinner and dancing, is highlighted by Fund A Cure. This is an opportunity to make a 100% tax deductible donation toward improving the lives of people with T1D immediately by backing the push forward in both research and development, while simultaneously contributing toward a future cure.
Bevilacqua emphasizes how imperative it is to raise vital funds for important innovations in multiple lines of research on a daily and yearly basis. He cites the work JDRF has done with its artificial pancreas (AP) program as a prime example. “The AP Program has had a positive impact on the lives of those living with type 1, and JDRF was a key component of this research manifesting.”
The closed loop AP system is the most advanced device-based way to treat T1D. Its three parts work in close concert with one another. First, a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is always measuring glucose levels in the body. Second, an algorithm—the brains of the system—determines the optimal amount of insulin to administer based on the readings from the CGM. Third, the insulin pump delivers these doses of insulin under the skin.
This type of AP system is a fundamental step up from sensor-augmented pumps (SAP). Both systems provide a continuous supply of insulin and continuous glucose readings. But the SAP requires a person to actively monitor the real-time glucose readings provided by the sensor and react accordingly, a task which can be tedious and frustrating. The closed loop system relies instead upon the algorithm to respond to the glucose readings. The algorithm sets a changing course of action by taking variables into account using specific calculations. The system is called an artificial pancreas because it mimics the healthy organ’s own ability to secrete correct amounts of insulin at the correct times.
Daniel Finan, Ph.D., research director of the AP and glucose control programs at JDRF, says that although this current AP system is a hybrid—meaning that the person with T1D still needs to manually provide a boost of insulin at mealtimes-—the technology kills two birds with one stone. “It improves glucose control and at the same time reduces the burden of self-management.”
Traci Rollins, current board member and past president of JDRF’s Greater Palm Beach Chapter, says that both of those benefits are significant for her 25-year-old son Ian, who uses an AP. “There comes a time in the management of your own or your child’s T1D when you understand what has to be done day-to-day, and you trust in JDRF and its funded researchers to be focused on a cure.” Rollins notes that the AP is one of the best therapies for daily control and the prevention of long-term side effects from T1D. It gives Ian fewer dangerous blood glucose lows and highs, and it also provides fewer nights of interrupted sleep.
The AP helped Ian drop his A1c by a full point within the first 90 days of use. Perhaps its biggest benefit is that it is always dependably doing its job, allowing Ian to concentrate on other things. Rollins says that learning how to maneuver the workplace, manage social relationships and be fiscally responsible is a lot on the plate for any young adult. Adding diabetes management to the mix is quite an unfair expectation, but one that can’t be avoided. “It took ‘smart’ technology to achieve the results that he was missing because of human error. Or because sometimes he simply tires of having diabetes and is not humanly capable of the relentless control the artificial pancreas offers.”
Visit jdrf.org to learn more about JDRF’s work in AP Technology. Click here for more information on attending the JDRF Greater Palm Beach Chapter’s Annual Gem of an Evening Gala.