I know someone with an insulin pump and it only gives insulin to bring sugar down. He does not always want to eat or drink something to bring up his sugar when he is low. I was wondering if it was possible to have a pump that could administer glucose to bring up sugar, or just keep it from dropping below a set point? I’m sure more qualified people have already thought of this and maybe there is a reason it does not exist but I would like to know.
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I suppose it could be possible – it would have to use the other hormone secreted from the pancreas, glucagon.
Both insulin and glucagon are secreted from the pancreas in response to blood sugar levels. Insulin helps cells absorb sugar from the blood (lowering sugar levels) and glucagon stimulates the liver to make/release sugar into the blood (raising blood sugar levels).
There already are glucagon injections (kinda like an epipen for low sugar), and pumps with both hormones in them are currently being studied for use
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3589308/
Edit: adjusted link
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