Is it possible for people with diabetes to travel to space?

Burjeel Holding, the leading company in the high health care sector in the Middle East and North Africa region, in cooperation with Axium Space, specialized in human space flights, revealed the initial results of its advanced scientific research, Sweet Ride, which took place on the International Space Station during the Axium 4-AX-4 mission, in the framework of opening new horizons to send the first astronaut with diabetes to space.

During the “AX-4” mission, a crew of four individuals spent 18 days in the absence of gravity to carry out experiments, as an integrated package of health care possibilities was sent away.

In a prominent step, the “Sweet Ride” initiative explored, through this, the mechanisms of diabetes management in space, with the aim of enabling persons with special medical conditions to go into space flights.

The results showed that the “CGMS”, which are wearable devices to measure blood sugar levels, in addition to insulin pens, have proven their ability to work efficiently in harsh space conditions, and data also showed that the accuracy of “CGM” devices in space matches their results on Earth, with the possibility of probing readings to follow -up centers on Earth.

Dr. Mohamed Fatyan, medical director in Burjeel Medical City, President of the Clinical Research Research, confirmed that the “Burjeel Holding” initiative came to put a pioneering imprint in the field of space medicine, in line with the UAE’s ambitions.

And he added that this study is not limited to enabling astronauts with diabetes to go through the experiment, but rather extends to a fundamental shift in the methods of providing health care on the ground.

He considered that the results open the way for the adoption of innovative models for health care, which can be applied in the most difficult conditions, whether at an altitude of 250 miles in space or at sea on oil platforms, in order to enhance the future of advanced medicine and make health services more comprehensive and effective.