WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators have approved a first-of-a-kind “artificial pancreas,” a device that can help some diabetes patients manage their disease by constantly monitoring their blood sugar and delivering insulin as needed. Type 1 diabetes patients now have to manage their insulin through multiple injections throughout the day or a drug pump that delivers it through a tube. Older insulin pumps simply deliver a baseline level of insulin, and patients must monitor their sugar levels and give themselves more insulin to keep their blood sugar from getting too high. Many of those patients are overweight or obese and face increased risk of heart attack, stroke and kidney failure. “Type 2 diabetes is such an overwhelming spectrum of the disease and I think there’s a significant slice of that pie that could benefit from the artificial pancreas,” said Dr. Robert Courgi of Southside Hospital on New York’s Long Island.

Source: FDA approves ‘artificial pancreas’ to manage diabetes – SFGate