Scientists hail ‘smart’ insulin that responds to changing blood sugar levels in real time
Scientists hail ‘smart’ insulin that responds to changing blood sugar levels in real time
Exclusive: People with type 1 diabetes may in future only need to give themselves insulin once a week, say experts
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The article specifies type 1 a lot, Why wouldn't it also help with type 2?
Just guessing
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Type 2 oftenly needs way less insulin
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Type 2 can oftenly be treated with other medicines (for example Metformin, to reduce the sugar production from your liver)
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Type 2 can be "cured" sometimes by just losing weight
So it might help with Type 2. But easing the live of people with Type 1 is just the bigger goal.
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Because type two doesn't have issues with insulin production, but insulin sensitivity. So the pancreas produces, but the body isn't responding as it should.
And because of that insensitivity the pancreas tries to produce more and more insulin which leads in later stages to the beta cells "wearing out". At this time you'll need insulin. So a smart insulin would be a solution for Type 2, wouldn't it?
No, it still wouldn't address the insulin resistance, just the consequences of the β-cell dysfunction. Ideally therapy would address the hyperglycaemia and preserve β-cell functionality. Currently insulin is prescribed in T2D when two oral agents aren't effective at controlling hyperglycaemia. So while potentially applicable, it would not be a solution.
Thank you for clarifying it.
Ah - when I posted the question I was thinking of my mom who was type 2 and needed to take insulin very regularly (and eventually had a continuous glucose monitor patch on her arm at all times)
It does seem like it should help for cases like that, which I wasn't aware were less common.
Definitely would help, as part of a most probably already complicated therapeutic regime :)