Study: Continuous Glucose Monitoring Improves Glycemic Control
Continuous glucose monitoring in patients with type 1 diabetes lowers blood sugar levels and contributes to better overall well-being in the long term, according to new research.
Noting that the majority of individuals with type 1 diabetes do not meet recommended glycemic targets, researchers sought to evaluate the effects of continuous glucose monitoring in adults with type 1 diabetes treated with multiple daily insulin injections. The investigators conducted an open-label crossover randomized clinical trial in 15 diabetes outpatient clinics in Sweden between February 2014 and June 2016.
The study included 161 individuals (mean age 43.7 years) with type 1 diabetes and hemoglobin A1C of at least 7.5% treated with multiple daily insulin injections. Among the participants, 45.3% were women, with a total of 142 participants having follow-up data in both treatment periods.
Participants were randomly assigned to receive treatment using a continuous glucose monitoring system or conventional treatment for 26 weeks, separated by a washout period of 17 weeks. The investigators also measured differences in HbA1C between weeks 26 and 69 for the 2 treatments, as well as adverse events, including severe hypoglycemia.
Overall, glycemic control was improved during continuous glucose monitoring compared to conventional treatment, according to the authors.
—Mark McGraw
Reference
Lind M, Polonsky W, Hirsch IB, et al. Continuous glucose monitoring vs conventional therapy for glycemic control in adults with type 1 diabetes treated with multiple daily insulin injections: the GOLD randomized clinical trial. JAMA. 2017.