Sarah Howard
Sarah Howard (nee Tackett) has dedicated her career to supporting the T1D community ever since she was diagnosed with T1D while in college in May 2013. Since then, she has worked for various diabetes organizations, focusing on research, advocacy, and community-building efforts for people with T1D and their loved ones. Sarah is currently the Senior Marketing Manager at T1D Exchange.
Sarah and her husband live in NYC with their cat Gracie. In her spare time, she enjoys doing comedy, taking dance classes, visiting art museums, and exploring different neighborhoods in NYC.
I said remission but what is doesn’t say is anything about hyperglycemia. I assume insulin independence means that. Obviously 5 years is not a cure unless you are dying within that period. But I would want to know: what happens after 5 years? Does it return with a vengeance?
The description can be interpreted as eliminating/greatly reducing hyperglycemia events, but doesn’t state so specifically. If this is a correct interpretation, then it could be labeled “functional cure”; if incorrect, then it is “transformative” only as hyper events have very negative impacts.
Fun to daydream about. I said functional cure, but only if the treatment could be re-upped every 5 years.. and don’t cause other dramatic side affects or require other strong medicines or surgeries.
I agree with others – the question ignores hyperglycemic events. Perhaps that is what is. meant by “insulin independence”–?
I would call it both “remission from diabetes” AND “transformative.” Not sure why they had to be mutually exclusive.
I would call it a bandaid it’s a temporary fix.
I’m not sure if “therapy” is the best term and could cause confusion. It’s not complete elimination, it appears that it will be a reduction AND it is temporary. I think we need more information on what this “theray” involves before we can name it appropriately. What ever the decision is, it should be clearly stated that it is short-term or temporary.
Thank you
More info would be needed to answer definitively; would it also require immune-suppressive drugs?
Depends on the costs. If I have to take additional medicines or worry about side effects apart from T1d then the cost would out weigh the benefits. Even though I have T1d I am able to minimize the effects on overall health.
I think a better question than “what would you call it” is “would you do it”.
I would do it and I called it transformative.
I’d call it “Alternative Treatment” or “Alternative Therapy”. If it’s truly only “up to 5 years” it is not a cure and I wouldn’t call it remission because you KNOW it will come back. I guess the question would be if it could be done repeatedly, then it may be a functional cure or remission.
I chose Other. There is not enough information for me to label it any of the other choices. I’m not sure what insulin independence means and it’s also only temporary. Although a break from diabetes for 5 years sounds great, what side effects of the therapy would I be enduring for those 5 years.
Insulin supply lasting many months doesn’t provide a medical benefit if not administered to keep TIR
I called it disease modifying. It is temporary and up to 5 years (not necessarily 5 years, it could be a few months). There really isn’t enough information to determine if it might be transformative because you have no idea if other “therapies” would be required. I would not call it a cure of any kind though.
Other…not enough info. Side effects? Other drugs necessary? Their side effects? Time spent at the doctor? Risks overall?
Temporary functional cure
I have no idea what I am voting on and what it would entail to have 5 years of freedom from this disease. A long vacation would be nice but not if it included surgery or anti-rejection drugs. That’s why I voted potential which means partially looking forward with great potential and great HOPE.
Is this the smart insulin therapy? I would call it an advancement. I think about individuals who would not be able to operate a pump, change infusion sets and cgm sensors/ transmitters or rely on others for help. And if a person is also suffering from dementia or confined to a facility then smart insulin is a smart idea.
I’d call it treatment modifying. You’d still need to monitor, I would presume toward the last two years to be sure it is working. I think it would depend on what a persons daily total doses are to determine how long the treatment would last. Nothing is mentioned about hypers. So I would call it treatment modification.
Insulin independence? No such thing – everyone is insulin dependent whether they have diabetes or not. Every human being, and mammal species, cannot live without the hormone insulin functioning in their bodies in some form or another. It is an essential hormone for the life process. We all know that Insulin resistance is very different from insulin deficiency, or total lack of insulin. So insulin independence??? I don’t think so. Find another name for it – like restoration of insulin function.
I agree with others that the word “temporary” should be included in any description. Also, I think it still counts as a “treatment” not a “cure.” Too many options have the word cure in them.
I selected Remission from Diabetes since that was closest in meaning.
need more info, there is allot more to t1D…
I call mine a Dexcom G6 integrated with my Tandem X2 running CIQ. I have Eliminated All Lows, have a TIR running up to 94% and SD down to 24. Being a T1 for 57 years I never thought I’d have this!
I’d like to hear more realistic scenarios that actually might be available, rather than another “a cure is coming” promise that never, ever materializes. I’ve had T1D for so long, the records of my diagnosis date can’t even be found.
If I could take this therapy every five years, functional cure, almost as good as a cure, bur not, as it would be necessary to have access to.
If it could only be taken once, then remission.
I would appreciate being a healthy person who possibly had hypoglycemic events from too much exercise without eating appropriately and not dependent on insulin outside of my own body’s production.
If the therapy does not cause the pancreas to produce it’s own insulin, then it is not remission nor a cure. Transformative is ok, but disease-modifying is more accurate.
Disease-modifying at best. And how many other unaffordable pills and pharmaceutical interventions would be required to get “up to” 5 years?
That would be a nice break from diabetes but I wouldn’t consider it a cure because it is not forever. And if I knew the treatment was good for 5 years I would still be watching and waiting for the day when it wasn’t working.