Automated Insulin Delivery in Elderly With Type 1 Diabetes (AIDE T1D)

Automated insulin delivery (AID) technologies hold the promise of optimizing glycemic control and reducing the burden of diabetes care for patients with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). However, clinical trials of lower burden AID technologies have not included older adults in sufficient numbers to allow for focused evaluation of efficacy and quality of life (QOL) impacts that may differ from those observed in younger age groups. Most notably, primary endpoints have focused on reducing hyperglycemia, while avoidance of hypoglycemia is of upmost concern for older adults with T1D. T1D Exchange clinic registry data have shown severe hypoglycemia (SH) occurs more commonly in older adults with longstanding T1D than in younger individuals with events occurring just as often with HbA1c levels \>8.0% as with HbA1c levels \<7.0%. These data do not support the strategy of "raising the HbA1c" as being an effective approach for hypoglycemia prevention in older adults with T1D. In addition to acutely altered mental status, hypoglycemia is associated with an increased risk for falls leading to fractures, car accidents, emergency room (ER) visits, hospitalizations, and mortality resulting in substantial societal costs. The occurrence of hypoglycemia, hypoglycemia unawareness and fear of hypoglycemia have adverse effects on overall QOL of both individuals with T1D and their families. While continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology alone has the potential to be beneficial in reducing hypoglycemia in older patients, our preliminary data from the Wireless Innovations for Seniors with Diabetes Mellitus (WISDM) trial shows a majority of patients still have frequent hypoglycemia even when using CGM. Thus, knowledge of CGM alone may not be sufficient to avoid hypoglycemia in this population. Predictive low-glucose suspend algorithms have particular promise when the primary goal is hypoglycemia avoidance rather than glucose reduction. Whether the added complexity of closed loop systems provides additional glycemic benefit is not known. There is a critical need to determine whether automated insulin delivery can reduce hypoglycemia in the older adult population with T1D.