Researchers Recommend Continuous Glucose Monitoring

A recent study expressed the need for continuous glucose monitoring as a way of treating type 1 diabetes. Researchers argue that when all of the factors are considered, this level of monitoring offers a much higher accuracy rate than the traditional method.

The results of the study were reported to the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).

Even though there are some limitations which can be attributed to continuous monitoring, the argument of the researchers is that continuous glucose monitoring offers a higher rate of glycemic control than the standard method of self-monitoring. They also contend that the accuracy of the readings is much higher when it is done on a continuous basis rather than sporadically.

Scientists studied the results of patients from 14 different studies. The total number of patients involved was 1,268.

Results show that when continuous monitoring was practiced, the reductions in haemoglobin A1c were much larger than if the individual used the self-monitoring method.

The researchers also found that age played a part in the larger reductions. When they factored in age for both adults and pediatric patients, the variances of HbA1c were significantly higher for those who monitored continuously versus self-monitoring. This clearly shows that the results were not age specific and can be seen across the spectrum of patients.

“What is important to emphasize is that the advantage of continuous monitoring proved only for real-time devices, not for retrospective continuous monitoring,” said Przemyslaw Rys, of HTA Consulting, a polish consulting company.

There also appeared to be a far less number of hypos for patients who were continuously monitored. This turned out to only be significant for real-time monitoring and not for retrospective monitoring.