Managing Type 1 Diabetes Can Feel Like a Constant Math Problem. This New Technology Makes It Easier

(BPT) - Meal Detection™ Technology* provides real-time insulin adjustments and corrections to help cover undercounted carbs and occasionally missed meal doses

Isabel (Izzi), a ninth-grade student and active teenager, is passionate about playing the violin in her school orchestra, as well as guitar and participating in several musical groups. In addition, she and her family enjoy outdoor activities like skiing and hiking. But unlike other teens, Izzi faces the challenge of managing type 1 diabetes (T1D) since her diagnosis in 2020.

“I remember it being Friday the 13th,” says her mom, Liz. “I knew the signs to look for because my mom, sister, and several aunts and uncles also had type 1. It’s a relentless disease. I lost my mom, an aunt, and two uncles to complications from type 1 diabetes, and I was determined not to let this happen to Izzi. I wanted her to be healthy, and more than that, I wanted her to continue to be a teenager — one that was not constantly worrying about her health.”

Approximately 1.6 million Americans, including Izzi, live with type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that impairs the body’s ability to produce insulin, the hormone needed for glucose to enter cells and produce energy. Without daily management of blood sugars, hypoglycemia (low blood sugars) can be life-threatening and hyperglycemia (high blood sugars) can be dangerous over an extended period of time and lead to complications like kidney damage, heart problems, and cognitive decline.[i]

On average, someone living with diabetes makes up to 180 diabetes-related decisions a day, including counting their carbohydrate intake before snacks and meals and then determining how much insulin to give themselves to cover for those carbs. It can feel like a constant math problem, and it’s cited as the biggest pain point for most. Nearly 50% of people consider carb counting the most burdensome aspect of diabetes care.[ii] When tested on carb-counting accuracy, people with T1D underestimate carbs 63% of the time[iii] and many forget or even skip them intentionally. This has an adverse impact on clinical outcomes and can lead to frequent highs.

Izzi needed a solution that would allow her to think less about her diabetes and just be a kid. Fortunately, she had the opportunity to participate in a clinical trial studying the MiniMed™ 780G system with Meal Detection™ Technology. The pump automates the delivery of insulin every five minutes and even covers for the times Izzi occasionally skips a meal bolus or underestimates her carbs.**

“As a mom, there’s nothing more I can ask for than a system that watches over her without us constantly needing to worry about whether she is going high or low — especially at night when the fear of her not waking up can feel incredibly stressful. It gave Izzi more independence and it really pushed her diabetes into the background,” says Liz. “It was a godsend.”

The clinical outcomes were the best they’d experienced, with Izzi spending over 90% of her time in her target glucose range. “With other technology, my highs and lows were much more severe, and we all lost a lot of sleep,” shared Izzi. “It was stressful for our whole family and my parents were even nervous about letting me drive eventually, because they didn’t think it would be safe. Now they’re not worried about that.”

Dr. Greg Forlenza, Associate Professor, Pediatrics-Barbara Davis Center, University of Colorado, and also Izzi’s doctor, says that mealtimes can be difficult. “Clinical outcomes are historically worst in adolescents — particularly when it comes to meal management and forgetting to bolus, but the MiniMed™ 780G system can bring them back into range quickly and safely.” Dr. Forlenza continues, “If you make a mistake, it’s okay because the system auto corrects in real-time. It also cuts down on potential conflicts between kids and their parents when they forget to bolus, and also ultimately allows parents to ease up a bit and give them more independence.”

With the MiniMed™ 780G system now approved in the U.S., Izzi is eager to get back on the system and is excited about her next big adventure: obtaining her learner’s permit!

“The MiniMed™ 780G system just makes life easier. I set my glucose target, and the pump does most of the work,” Izzi said. “Instead of spending time managing my glucose numbers, I can now focus on the things that I love! The best part is that my parents don’t have to worry about me as much.”

For more information about the MiniMed™ 780G, please visit www.medtronicdiabetes.com/780G.

Important safety information: MiniMed^™ 780G system with SmartGuard^™ technology with Guardian^™ 4 sensor

The MiniMed^™ 780G system is intended for continuous delivery of basal insulin at selectable rates, and the administration of insulin boluses at selectable amounts for the management of type 1 diabetes mellitus in persons seven years of age and older requiring insulin as well as for the continuous monitoring and trending of glucose levels in the fluid under the skin. The MiniMed^™ 780G system includes SmartGuard^™ technology, which can be programmed to automatically adjust insulin delivery based on the continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor glucose values and can suspend delivery of insulin when the sensor glucose (SG) value falls below or is predicted to fall below predefined threshold values.

The Medtronic MiniMed^™ 780G system consists of the following devices: MiniMed^™ 780G insulin pump, the Guardian^™ 4 transmitter, the Guardian^™ 4 sensor, One-press serter, the Accu-Chek^™ Guide Link blood glucose meter, and the Accu-Chek^™ Guide test strips. The system requires a prescription from a healthcare professional.

The Guardian^™ 4 sensor is intended for use with the MiniMed^™ 780G system and the Guardian 4 transmitter to monitor glucose levels for the management of diabetes. The sensor is intended for single use and requires a prescription. The Guardian^™ 4 sensor is indicated for up to seven days of continuous use.

The Guardian^™ 4 sensor is not intended to be used directly to make therapy adjustments while the MiniMed^™ 780G is operating in manual mode. All therapy adjustments in manual mode should be based on measurements obtained using a blood glucose meter and not on values provided by the Guardian^™ 4 sensor. The Guardian^™ 4 sensor has been studied and is approved for use in patients ages 7 years and older and in the arm insertion site only. Do not use the Guardian^™ 4 sensor in the abdomen or other body sites including the buttocks, due to unknown or different performance that could result in hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.

WARNING: Do not use the MiniMed^™ 780G system until appropriate training has been received from a healthcare professional. Training is essential to ensure the safe use of the MiniMed^™ 780G system.

WARNING: Do not use SG values to make treatment decisions, including delivering a bolus, while the pump is in Manual Mode. When the SmartGuard^™ feature is active and you are no longer in Manual Mode, the pump uses an SG value, when available, to calculate a bolus amount. However, if your symptoms do not match the SG value, use a BG meter to confirm the SG value. Failure to confirm glucose levels when your symptoms do not match the SG value can result in the infusion of too much or too little insulin, which may cause hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.

Pump therapy is not recommended for people whose vision or hearing does not allow for the recognition of pump signals, alerts, or alarms. The safety of the MiniMed^™ 780G system has not been studied in pregnant women, persons with type 2 diabetes, or in persons using other anti-hyperglycemic therapies that do not include insulin. For complete details of the system, including product and important safety information such as indications, contraindications, warnings and precautions associated with system and its components, please consult https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/important-safety-information#minimed-780g and the appropriate user guide at https://www.medtronicdiabetes.com/download-library