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  • Review Article
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Technology in the management of type 1 diabetes mellitus — current status and future prospects

Nature Reviews Endocrinology volume 14, pages 464–475 (2018)Cite this article

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Abstract

Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) represents 5–10% of diabetes cases worldwide. The incidence of T1DM is increasing, and there is no immediate prospect of a cure. As such, lifelong management is required, the burden of which is being eased by novel treatment modalities, particularly from the field of diabetes technologies. Continuous glucose monitoring has become the standard of care and includes factory-calibrated subcutaneous glucose monitoring and long-term implantable glucose sensing. In addition, considerable progress has been made in technology-enabled glucose-responsive insulin delivery. The first hybrid insulin-only closed-loop system has been commercialized, and other closed-loop systems are under development, including dual-hormone glucose control systems. This Review focuses on well-established diabetes technologies, including glucose sensing, pen-based insulin delivery, data management and data analytics. We also cover insulin pump therapy, threshold-based suspend, predictive low-glucose suspend and single-hormone and dual-hormone closed-loop systems. Clinical practice recommendations for insulin pump therapy and continuous glucose monitoring are presented, and ongoing research and future prospects are highlighted. We conclude that the management of T1DM is improved by diabetes technology for the benefit of the majority of people with T1DM, their caregivers and guardians and health-care professionals treating patients with T1DM.

Key points

  • Innovations in technologies have greatly benefited diabetes management.

  • Flexible ways of delivering insulin, such as insulin pump therapy, are increasingly popular.

  • Minimally invasive real-time continuous glucose monitoring is progressing towards accurate, insulin-dosing approved, factory-calibrated systems and has become part of standard care for people with type 1 diabetes mellitus in many countries.

  • Automated glucose-responsive insulin delivery systems, including threshold-based suspend, predictive low glucose management insulin pump therapy and hybrid closed-loop systems, offer means for further improvements in glycaemic control while reducing hypoglycaemia exposure.

  • Data management tools and applications for diabetes self-management are helping people with type 1 diabetes mellitus and health-care professionals to manage intricate, extensive data created by diabetes technologies.

  • Advances in bihormonal closed-loop technology, bioartificial pancreas systems and smart insulin might further improve the care and management of people with type 1 diabetes mellitus in the future.

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Fig. 1: Currently available diabetes technologies in type 1 diabetes mellitus.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support of the National Institute of Health Research Cambridge Biomedical Research Centre, the Efficacy and Mechanism Evaluation National Institute for Health Research (#14/23/09), The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust (#2016PG-T1D045), Wellcome Strategic Award (100574/Z/12/Z), JDRF (#2-SRA-2014-256-M-R), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (1UC4DK108520-01) and Diabetes UK (#14/0004878).

Review criteria

The narrative is based on results from clinical studies and meta-analyses known to the authors. Relevant studies were identified by searching PubMed and Web of Science for articles on each of the technologies up to November 2017, as well as using cited literature in retrieved articles. Information relevant to children, adolescents and adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus was considered; studies in pregnancy complicated by diabetes were excluded. Priority was given to meta-analyses and systematic reviews.

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  1. Wellcome Trust-MRC Institute of Metabolic Science, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Martin Tauschmann & Roman Hovorka

  2. Department of Paediatrics, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    Martin Tauschmann & Roman Hovorka

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  1. Martin Tauschmann
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Correspondence to Roman Hovorka.

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R.H. has received speaker honoraria from Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk and Astra Zeneca, has served on the advisory panel for Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, has received licence fees from B. Braun and Medtronic, has served as a consultant to B. Braun and has patents and patent applications related to closed-loop systems. M.T. has received speaker honoraria from Medtronic and Novo Nordisk.

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Tauschmann, M., Hovorka, R. Technology in the management of type 1 diabetes mellitus — current status and future prospects. Nat Rev Endocrinol 14, 464–475 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-018-0044-y

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