Abstract
Background and Aims
Higher bolus frequency is expected to correlate with better glycemic control; however, there is little real-world data quantifying this trend. This study retrospectively assessed glycemic outcomes stratified by bolus frequency for a large cohort of youth with T1D using the Omnipod® Insulin Management System (Insulet Corp., Acton, MA) with an integrated BG meter (Abbott Diabetes Care Inc., Alameda, CA) and data management system (Glooko, Mountain View, CA).
Methods
Insulin pump data uploaded to the data management system from February-August 2019 were matched via device serial number to a second database of self-reported demographic data and de-identified. Data from ≥3 mo of system use per user were analyzed. Glucose Management Indicator (GMI) and percentage of readings <54 and 70-180mg/dL were calculated based on ≥14 days of BG meter readings for users grouped by average bolus frequency (<3, 3-4.99, 5-7.99, or ≥8/day).
Results
In 7,494 youth aged <18y with T1D (aged 12±4y, 50% female), average bolus frequency was 6.1±2.5/day, with 44% of users bolusing 5-7.99 times/day. Increased bolus frequency was correlated with improved GMI (Figure), decreased percentage of readings <54mg/dL, and increased percentage of readings 70-180mg/dL. The percentage of readings 70-180mg/dL increased from 32% with infrequent bolusing (<3/day) to 41% with frequent bolusing (≥8/day), while the percentage of readings <54mg/dL decreased from 2.5% to 1.2%.
Conclusions
Higher bolus frequency was associated with better glycemic control as measured by GMI and percentage of readings in target range in a large cohort of youth with T1D using the Omnipod System in this real-world observational study.
