Controlled multicenter study on the effect of computer assistance in intensive insulin therapy of type 1 diabetics

Abstract

This paper describes the results of a controlled multicenter study on the effect of the computer assistance in the intensive insulin therapy. The patient collective consisted of 50 diabetics, randomly divided in two groups with 25 patients per group. The Multiple Subcutaneous Injection (MSI) group was treated with the usually intensive regimen. The treatment in the Computer Assisted Meal Related Insulin Therapy (CAMIT) group was performed with the aid of a specialized pocket computer. Only in the CAMIT group during the study we observed a significant decrease: in the mean blood glucose (BG) with 1.6±0.4 mmol/l ( P<0.05), in the BG amplitudes by 1.0±0.3 mmol/l ( P<0.05), and in the hypoglycemia frequency—from 2.0±0.4 to 1.2±0.3 ( P<0.01) hypoglycemic episodes weekly. The HbA 1 values fell in the MSI group by 3.7±3.7% and in the CAMIT group significantly by 15.6±2.2% ( P<0.05). Consequently, the computer-assisted intensive insulin therapy resulted in an improved metabolic control.