Posted by Alan F. Bachrach, M.D. on November 29, 1997 at 16:05:20:
In Reply to: Re: CYGNUS TEST RESULTS posted by tim michalak on November 29, 1997 at 10:12:44:
I expect this posting to garner a lot of criticism. However, I must say that a continuous glucose monitoring system coupled to a pump would be a tremendous advance in the treatment of DM. It would not be a "cure" in the sense that Renal Dialysis is not a "cure" for End Stage Renal Disease. However, if euglycemia could be achieved without having to worry about hypoglycemic reactions it would be a huge step forward. I recently spoke with a resarcher at the Diabetes Center at Vanderbilt about this issue. He noted that it has proven extremely difficult to develop a monitor which is "real time current" (i.e., no 15 minute delay) and which does not involve a sensor in the venous or arterial systems (as opposed to measuring glucose concentrations in interstitial fluid, transcutaneously, etc.), though in my mind pacemakers are kept in the heart for years with no ill effects. I think it would be a huge mistake to underfund this area of research. I do not put it in the same class as stupid projects such as "the psychological effects of hypoglycemic reactions on the patient's grandfather's dog" (I made that up, but its probably not too far off the mark!). I certainly believe islet cell transplants should be funded to the max, but perhaps not exclusively.