Insulin delivery by implanted pump. A chronic treatment for diabetes

In the eight years that have elapsed since the first implantation of an insulin pump in a human subject, insulin delivered by implantable pump has been shown to improve metabolic control while reducing total and LDL cholesterol, serum amyloid A, and serum anti-insulin antibody titres. Both single-rate and programmable insulin pumps are now being evaluated in human trials with generally favorable results. Current clinical trial results indicate that the problem of insulin aggregation in pumps that inhibited initiation and expansion of clinical trials for several years has now been largely solved. Patients with implantable pumps are generally well-satisfied with this form of therapy, would choose it again, and recommend it to friends and relatives. Though currently more costly than subcutaneous insulin injections, the convenience of implantable pump therapy and the potential for reduction of diabetic complications through improved metabolic control may make it the treatment of choice in the future.