I was stopped in my tracks at the news stand this morning. “Diabetes ‘cure’ to end misery of jabs” screamed the headline. Of course, tales of cures for diabetes should always carry a, ahem, health warning; it seems that boy is still crying ‘wolf’. And the ‘misery of jabs’ seems to have eluded me thus far. Nevertheless, my curiosity being piqued I felt compelled to pick up a copy of the Daily Express. To make matters worse I had to hand money over it!
Feeling dirty and compromised I quickly consumed the front page story and page two follow up, discarded the evidence and began the process of erasing the episode from my memory. As you’ve probably gathered I bear a less than latent antipathy towards the Daily Express but hey, we all sell out sooner or later. The fact that my personal sell-out was in the name of advancing my knowledge of the condition that characterises my physical well-being has abated my guilt.
But enough of my rather public self-flagellation! Given my general scepticism I was not disappointed to quickly find out that the headline was indeed an overstatement. That said, it seems that despite the misleading title, this was actually an interesting story heralding what appears to be a major development in the management of diabetes. Perhaps I’m a bit behind the curve and many of you are aware of this development already, but I’m personally excited to find out that a UK research team has developed an implant device that will render unnecessary the daily grind of insulin jabs.
The team, headed by Dr Joan Taylor, professor of pharmacy at De Montfort University, Leicester has been working on the project for over twenty years and has finally revealed the prototype. It is anticipated that the first trials will begin in 2016, followed by availability on the NHS within ten years.
The device is about two and a half inches in diameter and is surgically implanted into the abdominal cavity. It releases precise amounts of insulin into the bloodstream and is topped up via a small catheter. The insulin is stored in a reservoir that is surrounded by a gel that slowly releases the insulin as bg levels rise. Don’t ask me about the science but it appears that as the bg levels subsequently drop the gel solidifies, ensuring the right amount of insulin is released. Clever, eh?
At an estimated cost of £5,000 per procedure this would seem to present what the Americans might call a ‘win-win’. The cost to the state of diabetes management is huge and is on an upward curve. This is exacerbated by the additional costs of related complications, not to mention lost work days etc. Not only does a development such as this appear to be a lower cost alternative to the conventional jab/pump methods, it also hugely improves individual lifestyle and management of the condition and mitigates long-term complications. To use another Americanism, it would appear that this development might prove to be a ‘no-brainer’ for future governments, on both health and economic levels. All of this makes for positive news.
So I’m glad I sullied myself and picked up this morning’s Express. If the story proves to be more than the usual hype surrounding diabetes ‘cures’ we can be excited at the prospects of an improved lifestyle and greater peace of mind. Not a bad thought with which to start the weekend.
