Is An Insulin Pump Right For You?

What Is An Insulin Pump?
An insulin pump is a small device, about the size of a compact cell phone. It can be clipped to your belt, hidden under your clothes, or slipped into your pocket. It is programmed to deliver precise amounts of rapid insulin to match your body’s needs.

Small amounts of insulin are delivered 24 hours of the day, not including your food. This replaces your long acting insulin.

You program the pump for additional insulin, for food, or for correcting your blood glucose.

What are the benefits of insulin pump therapy?

  • More flexibility by not having to follow a strict schedule for eating, activity, and insulin injections
  • Fewer injections
  • Improved A1C1
  • Fewer hypoglycemic episodes (low blood sugars)2
  • Reduced long-term complications related to diabetes3
  • Better predictability for insulin absorption4

Is Insulin Pump Therapy Right For Me?
If you or a person you are caring for has diabetes and uses insulin (Type 1, Type 2, gestational, Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults), an insulin pump might be the right choice. People can benefit from an insulin pump who want to:5

  • Increase flexibility in food choices, eating schedules, and activities
  • Reduce the amount of injections
  • Lower your A1C level
  • Reduce hypoglycemic events (low blood sugars)
  • Gain tight control before and during pregnancy
  • Help with dawn phenomenon (high blood sugars in the early morning)
  • Help with delayed digestion (gastroparesis)

Source: Medtronic

References
1 Doyle EA, Weinzimer, Steffen AT, Ahern JAH, Vincent M, Tamborlane WV. A randomized prospective trial comparing the efficacy of insulin pump therapy with multiple daily injections using insulin glargine. Diabetes Care. 2004;27(7):1554-1558.
2 Bode BW, Steed RD, Davidson PC. Reduction in severe hypoglycemia with long-term continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion in Type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care. 1996;19:324-327.
3 The Diabetes Control and Complications Trial Research Group. The effect of intensive treatment of diabetes on the development and progression of long-term complications in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. NEJM.1993;329:977-986.
4 Lauritzen T., Pramming S., Deckert T., Binder C. Pharmacokinetics of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. Diabetologia. 1983;24(5):326-329.
5 American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists medical guidelines for clinical practice for the management of diabetes mellitus. AACE Diabetes Mellitus Clinical Practice Guidelines Task Force. Endocr Pract. 2007;13(suppl 1):1-68