The use of diabetes technology under aviation conditions: A systematic review of human and in‐vitro studies and future considerations
Authors' conclusion
Diabetes technologies, particularly CGMs and AID systems, show promise in aviation environments. However, challenges such as insulin delivery variability, hypoglycaemia during fasting and the limited generalizability of hypobaric studies to real-flight conditions warrant further investigation. Future research should focus on larger, more diverse cohorts, real-world data, standardized protocols and a broader range of devices to further define the safety of their safety for aviation-specific diabetes management.
Study context
- Population
- Studies assessing diabetes technologies in-flight or under simulated aviation conditions, focusing on glycaemic control and safety6 studies
- Outcome
- Performance, safety and effectiveness of diabetes technologies in aviation settings
Methodological detailsqualitative synthesis, human and in-vitro studies, Four bibliographic databases searched; 522 references screened
- Qualitative synthesis
- Human and in-vitro studies
- Four bibliographic databases searched; 522 references screened
Pooled result
As reported in the abstract
- Human studies: high accuracy of continuous glucose monitors (CGM) and good glycaemic control with insulin pump therapy
- Automated insulin delivery (AID) systems: effective glycaemic control and safety under hypobaric conditions
- In-vitro: excess insulin delivery during ascent and reduced delivery during descent, influenced by pressure changes
- CGMs: minor signal variability in hypobaric conditions
- Qualitative synthesis due to high heterogeneity
Safety
- Hypoglycaemia noted during extended fasting
Original publication
The use of diabetes technology under aviation conditions: A systematic review of human and in‐vitro studies and future considerations. Diabet Med. Published 23 January 2026. doi:10.
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