Understanding How the Pump Works

The pancreas versus the pump

The pancreas of a person without diabetes regularly releases small quantities of insulin into the body to regulate blood glucose levels. The amount of insulin released varies with each individual’s internal clock, as well as factors such as physical activity, metabolism, stress and illness. When a person eats, the pancreas releases an extra surge of insulin to regulate blood glucose levels. Insulin pump therapy is a treatment that closely imitates the action of the pancreas, providing a constant supply of insulin to the body and extra doses as they are needed.

Pump therapy versus injection therapy

In contrast to insulin pump therapy, conventional insulin injection therapy does not imitate the action of the pancreas. A blanket injection of long-acting insulin may not correspond to the body’s varying needs during the course of the day—and those using this technique may be forced to plan meals and other aspects of life according to their injection schedules. Intensive injection therapy, involving multiple daily injections of long- and intermediate-acting insulin, is an improvement over conventional injection therapy but does not provide the continuous precise insulin delivery of an insulin pump which most closely mirrors the release of insulin in a person without diabetes.

480 precise doses of insulin every day

Four doses just can’t measure up. The four daily doses of insulin that the average person on intensive injection therapy receives just can’t match the precision of 480 doses per day—one dose every three minutes—delivered by an Accu-Chek^® Spirit / Accu-Chek^® Spirit Combo insulin pump. Pump therapy gives you frequent doses of fast-acting insulin, all day and night. The rate of your basal delivery can be tailored to your body’s metabolic needs and can allow you to sleep, exercise and eat with greater flexibility and peace-of-mind. Your pump can be programmed to deliver bolus doses of insulin before meals or snacks to compensate for your caloric intake. You can determine the precise amount and timing of each bolus.

Benefits of Pump Therapy

How about more freedom...

With either the Accu-Chek^® Spirit or Accu-Chek^® Spirit Combo insulin pump system, you can eat what you want when you want, without a lot of food/insulin “juggling.”

Better health...

Health risks are reduced by up to 76%

The precise insulin doses that you can achieve with a pump can lead to less fluctuation in blood sugar readings, better A1C readings, and a reduced risk of major health issues like stroke, kidney disease, heart attacks and eye damage.^1,2 Even a 1% improvement in your A1C score greatly reduces your risk of diabetes complications.³

And a life more like one without diabetes.

People with diabetes on insulin injections are like Boy Scouts. They always have to be prepared. And, while wearing the either the Accu-Chek^® Spirit or Accu-Chek^® Spirit Combo insulin pump system doesn’t mean you can throw out your emergency kit, pump therapy can help keep you prepared without the inconvenience of shots. Instead of having to stop what you’re doing to take shots, the Accu-Chek^® Spirit and Accu-Chek^® Spirit Combo insulin pumps helps automate your insulin therapy and keeps you going all day long.

The Rewards of Insulin Pump Therapy

You may be amazed at the increase in energy and decrease in mood swings you can experience with insulin pump therapy.

Because your body receives frequent, precise doses of insulin, even at night, you can greatly reduce the danger of overnight hypoglycemia—a common problem with conventional injection therapy. And you can prevent exercise-related hypoglycemia by programming the pump to temporarily decrease insulin delivery during physical activity. With either the Accu-Chek^® Spirit or Accu-Chek^® Spirit Combo insulin pump system, you can sleep late if you feel like it or go out to dinner with friends on the spur of the moment. A pump puts you in control. You’ll add more choices to your life when you add an insulin pump.

Other Treatment Options

Other Injections

In addition to insulin and oral medications, other types of injectable medicines are now available. These injectable medicines are designed to keep your blood sugar from going too high after you eat. These therapies work with insulin in the body and are not substitutes for insulin.

Pancreatic Islet Transplantation

The pancreas, an organ about the size of a hand, sits behind the lower part of the stomach. It makes insulin and enzymes that help the body digest and use food. Throughout the pancreas are clusters of cells called the islets of Langerhans. Islets are made up of several types of cells, including beta cells that make insulin.

Pancreatic islet transplantation is an experimental procedure in which these islets are taken from the pancreas of a deceased organ donor. The islets are purified, processed and transferred into another person. Once implanted, the beta cells in these islets begin to make and release insulin. Researchers hope that islet transplantation will help people with type 1 diabetes live without daily injections of insulin.¹