The mylife CamAPS FX System: An AID for All Ages
Key takeaways:
- The mylife CamAPS FX hybrid closed-loop system has been shown to significantly improve blood sugar management and quality of life for people with type 1 diabetes of all ages.
- In very young children with diabetes, the CamAPS FX system reduced both A1C and diabetes-related stress.
- The CamAPS FX system is the only FDA-approved AID system for pregnancy. Users saw higher time in range while also reducing complications from high blood sugar and the need for NICU admissions.
Managing type 1 diabetes comes with unique challenges at every stage of life, but advancements in technology are making it easier.
Automated insulin delivery (AID) systems, also known as closed-loop systems, are gaining popularity for their potential to relieve this burden. AID systems use an algorithm that collects real-time blood sugar data from a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to automatically adjust insulin delivery from the pump.
The CamAPS FX algorithm, which works with the FreeStyle Libre 3 and Dexcom G6 CGM systems, was approved by the FDA in 2024 for people with type 1 diabetes aged 2 and older, including pregnant women.
When used with the mylife YpsoPump insulin pump, the system is known as mylife Loop with mylife CamAPS FX. The mylife YpsoPump insulin pump is currently under FDA review for use in the U.S.
Patient stories using mylife Loop with mylife CamAPS FX
Dr. Pieter Gillard, an endocrinologist at UZ Leuven in Belgium, shared patient stories where he saw remarkable improvements in blood sugar levels with the mylife Loop system.
For example, one of Gillard’s patients saw their time in range increase from 7% to 64% after three months with the mylife Loop and mylife CamAPS FX system
Even in people whose time in range was above the recommended target (at least 70% of time between 70-180 mg/dL, or 3.9-10.0 mmol/L), the system provided substantial improvement. One of Gillard’s patient’s initial time in range of 76% rose to 90% after using the mylife CamAPS FX system.
As Gillard explained, reaching a time in range of 90% requires diligence and focus. AID systems can help to reduce that burden, and go beyond improving blood sugar targets.
"If you can take out that hard work with an AID system, it also improves the quality of life of people living with type 1 diabetes," he said.
A simple approach for dealing with highs and lows
One of the standout features of the mylife CamAPS FX system is its flexibility. For instance, the Ease-Off function allows users to reduce their insulin dose and raise their glucose target in certain situations like sitting in meetings or while driving.
The Ease-Off function can also be used to reduce instances of low blood sugar during exercise.
Gillard shared an example of a patient who experienced hypoglycemia during her Zumba classes. She used the Ease-Off function on the mylife CamAPS FX system to decrease her insulin about 1-2 hours before her class and increased her glucose target to 150 mg/dL, helping her avoid low blood sugar while working out.
Another helpful feature is the Boost function. This feature temporarily increases insulin delivery to address post-meal blood sugar spikes, such as when there's a missed bolus or an inaccurate carb count. The system also adjusts insulin delivery in a way that tends not to push glucose levels too low, which is crucial during times like pre-menstruation or after an infusion set issue.
Benefits for young children and their caregivers
For young children, AID systems can significantly improve their quality of life and ease the burden on caregivers. Preschoolers, in particular, face unique challenges in managing diabetes due to unpredictable changes in food and activities, small injection sites, and long overnight intervals without food or insulin.
Dr. Carine D. Beaufort, a pediatrician in Luxembourg and former president of the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes (ISPAD), shared the results of a clinical trial that tested the CamAPS FX application in children aged one to seven years old with type 1 diabetes. Those using the closed-loop system spent 8.7% more time in the target glucose range and saw an average reduction of 0.4% in their A1C levels compared to those using sensor-augmented pump therapy (i.e., using a CGM and insulin pump that requires manual adjustments to insulin doses).
But the positive effects stretch much farther than A1C and time in range – using AID systems alleviates diabetes-specific worry so that life can become less about diabetes and more about life. Studies have shown that these systems reduce the day-to-day stress associated with counting carbs and bolusing, and improves family relationships with less conflict about daily self-care tasks and negative moods associated with episodes of low or high blood sugar.
Beaufort stressed that implementing these technologies gives children the chance to play, sleep, and engage in normal activities without the constant need for intervention.
"Children can attend parties and sleepovers without their parents and experience more normality in their lives," she emphasized. “For me, the question is not whether we should offer AID systems to all young children, but when? I think it should be offered as soon as children are diagnosed,” Beaufort concluded.
AID systems also help caregivers feel more confident and less worried about hypoglycemia in their young children. In turn, this enhances their well-being and allows them to provide better care for their children with type 1 diabetes.
CamAPS FX in pregnancy
Dr. Helen R. Murphy, a specialist in diabetes and pregnancy care at the University of East Anglia, presented on how the CamAPS FX system can be a game-changer for pregnant women with type 1 diabetes.
"This hands-off system can be used by anyone of any age, but also crucially, during times of real physiological challenge – like pregnancy," Murphy stated.
Pregnancy requires staying in even tighter glucose ranges to reduce risks to both the mother and the developing fetus, Murphy explained. The CamAPS FX system helps achieve these stricter targets. The time in range target for a pregnant woman is 70% of their time between 63–140 mg/dL (or 3.5-7.8 mmol/L).
In one study, pregnant women with type 1 diabetes using the CamAPS FX hybrid closed-loop system spent 10.5% more time (an additional 2.5 hours per day) within the pregnancy-specific target range, compared to those using standard insulin delivery methods. This improvement led to fewer complications, such as high blood pressure during pregnancy, and reduced the need for NICU admissions.
Murphy emphasized that AID systems like CamAPS FX should be offered to all women with type 1 diabetes, not only during pregnancy, but before and after as well.
The bottom line
The mylife CamAPS FX hybrid closed-loop system is helping improve diabetes management for people of all ages. From very young children to pregnant women, using this technology makes it easier to achieve better glucose management with less effort.
Learn more about advancements in diabetes technology here: