Nighttime insulin requirements greater for young children vs. teens, adults

Children with type 1 diabetes have a greater range of insulin requirements, particularly at night, compared with adolescents and adults with the condition, according to a study of hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery system users.

“[This research] helps to understand the challenges parents/guardians have to cope with when managing diabetes of their young offspring,” Roman Hovorka, PhD, MSc, a professor of metabolic technology and the director of research in the department of pediatrics at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, told Endocrine Today. “The research will also inform reimbursement of closed-loop systems in this particular population. “

Hovorka and colleagues conducted a retrospective analysis of data from 20 children aged 6 years or younger with type 1 diabetes (mean age, 4.6 years; 55% girls), 21 children aged 7 to 12 years with type 1 diabetes (mean age, 10.7 years; 66.7% girls), 15 children aged 13 to 17 years with type 1 diabetes (mean age, 15.3 years; 53.3% girls) and 58 adults with type 1 diabetes (mean age, 37.8 years; 48.3% women) who took part in trials assessing hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery systems. Participants were recruited from Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and the United States. Using the data, the researchers calculated the coefficient of variation for insulin delivery.