Why hasn’t modern medicine come out with continuous monitors/pumps for other hormone deficiencies (thyroid, cortisol, growth hormone, etc) like they have diabetics who use insulin monitors/pumps?

Question

Have a family member who has type 1 diabetes, and the continuous glucose monitor/insulin pump technology of the past decade have been literally life-changing. His markers are now down to a normal healthy person’s, let alone a normal diabetic’s. It’s crazy.

Also have a dear friend who had their pituitary removed this week, and was wondering why we don’t have similar technology for other hormones the body needs. If we don’t, how far off are we?

In: 5

Answer 1

Insulin levels can be monitored in the blood, which is a very accesible. If the other hormones in question can’t be checked as easily in the blood that could be one limiting factor. If the hormone is primarily used in the nervous system for example, testing in real time ranges from complicated to impossible with our current technology.