Astronauts with diabetes may soon travel to space: Study

Astronauts with diabetes may soon be able to undertake space missions safely, a study conducted during Shubhanshu Shukla's travel to the International Space Station (ISS) has found.

The Suite Ride experiment, conducted by UAE-based healthcare firm Burjeel Holdings during the Axiom-4 mission, found that everyday diabetes tools used by millions on Earth can be used comprehensively to provide end-to-end diabetes monitoring from space to ground and back to space.

"This historic advancement opens the door to future astronauts with diabetes and provides new solutions in remote healthcare," a statement from Burjeel Holdings said.

The results of the study were announced at the Burjeel Institute for Global Health, New York, in the presence of Shamsheer Vayalil, founder of Burjeel Holdings and Tejpaul Bhatia, CEO, Axiom Space.

As per the research results, continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), a wearable medical device tracking blood sugar levels in real time, and insulin pens can operate reliably in the extreme conditions of space.

Early results suggest that CGM devices can perform with accuracy comparable to Earth-based readings, enabling real-time glucose monitoring of astronauts in microgravity and communication of readings to the ground.

"We are proud to contribute to a future where space exploration and healthcare breakthroughs serve not just astronauts but millions of people on Earth living with diabetes," Shamsheer Vayalil, founder and chairman of Burjeel Holdings, said.

"Besides opening the door for astronauts with diabetes, these findings will also transform the way we deliver care here on Earth. From 250 miles above Earth to 25 miles offshore on oil rigs, we are advancing new models of remote care," Mohammad Fityan, Chief Medical Officer at Burjeel Medical City and Clinical Lead of the Burjeel Ax-4 Space Health Research, said.

Insulin pens flown to the space station are now undergoing post-flight testing to evaluate the integrity of the formulation, the statement said.

Envisioned by Vayalil, the Suite Ride research focused on diabetes monitoring and management in microgravity, during the Axiom Mission-4 (Ax-4).

According to the WHO, in India there are an estimated 77 million people above the age of 18 years suffering from Type 2 diabetes and nearly 25 million are pre-diabetics or at a higher risk of developing diabetes in near future.