Dubai: The latest in new insulin pump technology is now available in the UAE and is a step closer to serving as an artificial pancreas.
Insulin pumps have been in use for decades, especially in the case of children with Type 1 diabetes where the body does not produce any insulin at all.
However, the new sensor-augmented insulin pump — which can automatically shut off insulin supply when it detects low level of glucose — can save the individual an episode of hypoglycaemia (low sugar). These kinds of pumps that have Arabic-enabled readings are now available in the UAE and are making diabetes management less cumbersome now.
Conventionally, people with Type 1 and Type II diabetes use an insulin injection or a pen.
The new pumps spell good news for this region which has a high incidence of diabetes.
According to the International Diabetes Federation and the World Health Organisation, six out of the world’s top ten countries for highest prevalence of diabetes are currently in the Middle East and North Africa Region – Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE. Estimates suggest that around 19 per cent of the adult UAE population suffers from diabetes compared with a global average of 6 per cent, attributed mostly to current economic development and lifestyle challenges.
Dr Mohammad Hamed Farooqi, Director of the Dubai Diabetes Centre, welcomed the new sensor-enabled pumps, but with a word of caution: “Any type of technological breakthrough which helps make the life of a diabetic easier is most welcome as it marks a small step in better diabetes management and we move closer towards the creation of artificial pancreas. However, anyone using the pump must have a realistic understanding of what it can deliver. The individual must be made aware that the new device does not take over your diabetes management.
“The pump cannot anticipate what you are going to eat — half a chicken or half a piece of cake — you need to maintain a basic criteria of what and how much you will eat throughout the day. It is the responsibility of the individual to adjust the insulin requirement and know how much insulin each meal will require. Besides that, a bulk of the pump users are children with Type I diabetes and typically their mothers or care givers must be trained in the use of the pump as well.”
The new sensor-enabled pump manufactured by the US-based medical technology company Medtronic is approved by the Ministry of Health and available on prescription by a diabetes specialist as the user requires to undergo extensive training before switching it on, according to a spokesperson from the company.
