Using wearables and smart pumps to lower the risk of unrecognized low blood sugar
Using technology to define and mitigate risk of impaired awareness of hypoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes
This project uses continuous glucose monitors and hybrid closed-loop insulin systems to find people with impaired awareness of hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes and help restore their ability to notice low blood sugar.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11319806 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would wear a blinded continuous glucose monitor (CGM) for about 10 days so researchers can look for CGM patterns linked to poor awareness of low blood sugar. After that, you would have a controlled hypoglycemic clamp visit where hormones and symptoms during low blood sugar are measured. The team plans to enroll roughly 112 adults with type 1 diabetes to compare CGM metrics with counterregulatory hormone responses and symptom scores. In a second phase, participants will use hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery to see whether modern automated insulin management can help restore hypoglycemia awareness.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Adults (18+) with type 1 diabetes, particularly those who have frequent hypoglycemia or suspect they do not sense low blood sugar, are the ideal candidates.
Not a fit: People without type 1 diabetes (including most with type 2), children under 18, or those who already reliably sense hypoglycemia are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help clinicians identify people at high risk for dangerous low blood sugar and reduce that risk by using modern insulin-delivery technology.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work shows CGM metrics and closed-loop systems can reduce time spent in hypoglycemia, but combining CGM pattern identification with hormonal clamp testing to restore awareness is a newer and less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pettus, Jeremy H — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Pettus, Jeremy H
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.