Advancing diabetes care: how predictive technology improves daily management

Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1985, Hanna Boëthius faced significant struggles due to the limited tools available. Over the years, advancements in technology have transformed diabetes management, shifting from reactive to proactive approaches.

Hanna Boëthius was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1985. Growing up, Hanna struggled with her diagnosis, being the only one with diabetes in her class for many years. “Back then, it was a different world for people with diabetes. We didn’t have the tools we have today – we had very slow and inaccurate finger-prick measurements for blood sugar and inflexible insulin that you had to take at set times,” says Hanna.

Today, with around 537 million adults* worldwide diabetes is a global epidemic and a strain on healthcare systems. For people like Hanna, living with diabetes is a lifetime of continuous ups and downs. It means managing multiple devices and loads of therapy data 365 days a year – never taking a break. It also involves making hundreds of therapy decisions every day while trying to maintain physical health, mental well-being and blood glucose levels that are ‘in range’ throughout daily activities such as sleeping, eating and travelling.

Hanna became a diabetes advocate to demonstrate that everyone must find what works for them in managing their diabetes. “I can describe hypoglycaemia, how that feels and how it affects me, but I am the one who needs to manage it. Finding a community of others with diabetes and the right technology helps to navigate this uncertainty,” says Hanna.

It is common for people with diabetes to experience fear and unawareness of hypoglycaemia – a potentially life-threatening low blood glucose level. Prediction is vital for successful diabetes management. “If you can buy people time to respond proactively and effectively, you can not only avoid hypoglycaemia and make people more confident in managing it, but also ease the burden of diabetes management overall and avoid stigma,” adds Prof. Katharine Barnard-Kelly, PhD, Chartered Health Psychologist. 

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices can help to better manage glucose levels daily. They provide warning alerts for high and low blood glucose results, which support patients with valuable information about the effects of diets, lifestyle and medication. Additionally, the latest developments in predictive algorithms can indicate a low blood glucose risk, continuously forecast glucose levels and estimate a potential nocturnal hypoglycaemia risk, enabling users to anticipate potential issues and make timely therapy adjustments.

For Hanna, predictive technology can offer a significant advantage: foreseeing blood glucose levels even a little into the future provides a ‘superpower-like ability’ to manage the extensive data associated with diabetes, in particular type 1. Predictive technologies can have the capacity to shift diabetes management from a reactive state, where individuals respond to current and past data, to a proactive approach. This transition empowers people with diabetes to maintain optimal control of their glucose levels. It aids therapy decisions and helps prevent dangerous short- and long-term complications. “Enhancing the technology we currently possess is already mind-blowing, considering the advancements made over the past 39 years. Ultimately, it makes diabetes management easier and brings more moments of happiness – a gift for anyone living with diabetes,” adds Hanna.

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