Insulin pump therapy and oxidative stress
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A pilot study to investigate whether patients with type 1 diabetes receiving insulin pump therapy have reduced markers of oxidative stress and cardiovascular risk compared to those on multiple daily injections
IRAS ID
151129
Contact name
Sandra MacRury
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of the Highlands & Islands
Research summary
People with type 1 diabetes were increasingly offered insulin pump therapy to manage glucose levels. The ability to alter insulin rates more flexibly should decrease high or low excursion of glucose levels throughout the day when compared with insulin injection treatment. This might help reduce small blood vessel complications like eye and kidney problems associated with diabetes. Large vessel complications such as heart disease and stroke were increased in diabetes but conventional treatment had little impact on reducing these. High levels of blood compounds called free radicals damaged blood vessels and increased blood stickiness contributing to large vessel disease. The study team could measure change or damage to the lining of blood vessels from compounds called nitrites in the blood; this was called endothelial function. The study team had shown that pump therapy in people with type 2 diabetes reduced oxidative stress. The important finding here was the relationship to lower variation in blood glucose levels when using an insulin pump rather than to overall diabetes control. In addition, the study team found that people also on statin therapy (to lower blood cholesterol) had the greatest reductions. This study examined the effect of pump therapy in people with type 1 with or without statin treatment in oxidative stress, endothelial function and platelet stickiness.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
14/NS/0047
Date of REC Opinion
25 Apr 2014
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion