Diabetics rejoice! The closed loop system is finally here. We no longer have to listen to our doctors go on and on about how close the artificial pancreas is, and we no longer have to beg and plead the FDA to finally approve something useful because here it is! The Medtronic MiniMed 670G insulin pump is the world’s first hybrid closed loop system. This means that the CGM will connect to the pump in order to relay blood sugar changes and make adjustments accordingly, similar to a pancreas.
When the CGM relays a high blood sugar or a blood sugar that is trending upward, the pump will release small amounts of insulin to correct that blood sugar. When the CGM senses a low blood sugar or a blood sugar that is trending downward, the pump will cease its automatic hourly output of insulin until the CGM senses that the blood sugar is coming back up. So, what does this mean for diabetics around the world? Well, let me tell you.
- .5% reduction in A1c results when the average A1c dropped from a 7.4% to a 6.9%
- This includes over a 1% reduction in A1c results when the participant began the study with an A1c above 7.5%
- 11% decrease in time spent with blood sugar above 180 mg/dl
- 40% decrease in time spent with blood sugar under 50 mg/dl
- 44% decrease in time spent with low blood sugar in general (under 70 mg/dl)
Now, this new and improved version isn’t going to be available until April of 2017, but in the meantime, you can order the Medtronic 630G. This pump is the latest version available to the public. It’s waterproof and it has threshold suspend, meaning it will suspend itself for two hours if the CGM senses your blood sugar is dropping. If you order it now, you can seamlessly upgrade to the 670G when it comes out next year, which is so much better than waiting until your warranty is up for your current pump and CGM.
