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Top 5 Most-Read T1D Articles of 2022
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This year’s most-read type 1 diabetes (T1D) articles highlighted important trends, breakthrough technologies, and more major findings for patients with T1D.
The top 5 most-read type 1 diabetes (T1D) articles on AJMC.com this year covered beta cell reactivation, trends in continuous glucose monitor use, a bionic pancreas automatically delivering insulin, and more.
Here are the 5 most-read T1D articles of 2022.
5. Study Examines Impact of Higher C-Peptide Levels on T1D
A 15-year study examining the natural course of C-peptide, a marker of pancreatic function, in children and adolescents with T1D showed C-peptide may have implications for insulin requirements and T1D complications over time. According to this article published in May, patients with higher serum C-peptide levels at diagnosis and after 15 years were treated with lower doses of insulin and had a reduced risk of diabetic ketoacidosis.
4. Use of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices Varies by Age for Patients With T1D
According to this July article, use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices varies with age among patients with T1D, with highest use during middle adulthood and decreasing with age later. CGM use was reportedly lower in adolescence, increased until approximately age 40, remained relatively constant between ages 40 and 60, and decreased until age 75. Researchers suggest these trends reflect the barriers that Medicare patients face regarding CGM coverage.
3. T1D Often Associated With Prevalence of Other Autoimmune Diseases
The 10-year follow-up of the DIACAM 1 study showed a notable increase in autoimmune disease (AD) prevalence among patients with T1D, according to this November article. Between the 2010 and 2020 analyses, the number of patients with at least 1 AD or any autoimmune thyroid disease increased by 13% and 11.6%, respectively, with prevalence of celiac disease and autoimmune gastritis significantly increasing. According to the researchers, these findings suggest it is necessary to implement systematic screening of these ADs to optimize patient follow-up.
2. Bionic Pancreas More Effective at Managing T1D Compared With Standard Insulin Delivery
The study included in this October article showed a bionic pancreas that automatically delivers insulin was more effective at maintaining normal blood glucose levels in people with T1D compared with standard of care. The bionic pancreas uses a closed loop system and algorithms to continually adjust insulin doses based on the user’s needs, requiring less user input compared with other existing artificial pancreas technologies. Over 13 weeks, glycated hemoglobin levels decreased from 7.9% to 7.3% in participants using the bionic pancreas, but maintained 7.7% at both times points for the standard of care group.
1. Beta Cell Reactivation May Be Viable Treatment for Patients With Type 1 Diabetes
As mentioned in this August article, researchers in Australia successfully reactivated pancreatic stem cells from a donor with T1D to become insulin-expressing, demonstrating the possibility that a drug could help replace destroyed beta cells in patients with diabetes. The study involved the drug GSK126 which, at the time of publication, was FDA-approved but not indicated for diabetes treatment. As the first example of restoring transcription of the insulin gene, the study has clinical implications for regenerative medicine within the context of T1D.
