- βTime in healthy blood sugar range increased by over 6 percentage points β roughly 90 extra minutes per day
- βDangerous high blood sugar episodes dropped significantly without increasing dangerous lows
- βResults came from a large real-world study of over 1,200 patients, making findings highly applicable to everyday life
| Journal | Journal of diabetes science and technology |
| Year | 2025 |
| Authors | Benhamou, Vesin, Reynaud |
| PMID | 41414695 |
What Was Studied and Why It Matters
For people living with type 1 diabetes, automated insulin delivery (AID) systems β sometimes called closed-loop or "artificial pancreas" systems β automatically adjust insulin based on continuous glucose monitor (CGM) readings. But even the best systems have room to improve. Researchers in Europe set out to discover whether refining the software algorithm inside one such system, the DBLG1 hybrid closed-loop, could help patients spend more time with healthy blood sugar levels without causing more dangerous lows.
What the Researchers Did
Scientists analyzed CGM data from over 1,200 adults with type 1 diabetes across Europe who were using the DBLG1 system between November 2023 and January 2025. They compared three versions of the pump's control software, looking specifically at how each update affected blood sugar outcomes. The main goal was to measure Time in Range (TIR) β the percentage of each day that a patient's blood sugar stayed between 70 and 180 mg/dL, which is considered the healthy target zone.
What They Found
The results were encouraging across both software upgrades:
- Time in Range jumped from 65.3% to 71.3% after the first major software update β meaning patients gained roughly 90 extra minutes per day with healthy blood sugar levels.
- Time spent above 250 mg/dL (dangerously high) dropped significantly, from 8.9% to 5.4%.
- Blood sugar variability improved, meaning fewer dramatic swings between highs and lows.
- The average glucose level (measured as GMI, similar to A1C) improved from 7.3% to 7.1%.
- A second, smaller software update pushed Time in Range even higher, to 70.8%.
- Critically, dangerous low blood sugar episodes did not increase β safety was maintained throughout.
What This Means for Real Patients
This study is an important reminder that the software running your insulin pump matters just as much as the hardware. Keeping your device updated β and working closely with your care team to ensure your CGM and pump supplies are always available β is essential to getting the most out of automated systems. Whether you use a CGM, insulin pump, or other diabetes management supplies, having a reliable source like MDS Diabetes ensures you're never caught without the tools your technology depends on.
For patients already on closed-loop systems, this research is reassuring: manufacturers are actively improving these devices, and those improvements translate into real, measurable benefits in daily life β more time feeling well, fewer scary highs, and no added risk of lows.
Bottom Line
Software updates to the DBLG1 automated insulin pump system helped type 1 diabetes patients spend up to 90 more minutes per day with healthy blood sugar β without increasing dangerous low blood sugar events. This study confirms that ongoing algorithmic improvements to closed-loop systems are a safe and effective way to better manage type 1 diabetes. Staying current with device updates and maintaining consistent access to your CGM and pump supplies are simple but powerful steps every patient can take.