Modern methods for assessing compensation of diabetes mellitus. Effect of continuous glucose monitoring on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Background. An integral part of diabetes mellitus (DM) management is its timely diagnosis. The reference method to study the quality of glycemic control is evaluating the level of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) as one of the most accessible and informative tools. However, the introduction of novel technologies, namely the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), has given patients with DM, their relatives and healthcare professionals an access to new indicators of glycemic control such as time in range (TIR), time above range and time below range. These indicators are criteria for compensation of carbohydrate metabolism according to the 2023 American Diabetes Association guidelines. The purpose of the study was to compare the effectiveness of using glucometers and the FreeStyle Libre system for flash glucose monitoring in patients with DM. Materials and methods. An examination of 60 patients with type 2 DM who received insulin therapy was conducted. They were aged 45–65 years, with DM duration of 5 ± 2 years. All participants were divided into two equal groups of 30 people each. The first group consisted of patients with CGM devices, the second group used glucometers for daily glycemic control. Additional CGM parameters were used: glucose coefficient of variation, glucose management indicator, which shows the probable level of HbA1c. Results. When evaluating the data obtained from patients who used CGM, it is important to note their high adherence to the use of flash glucose monitoring. The use of CGM made it possible to achieve compensation of carbohydrate metabolism faster compared to patients who used glucometers to correct glycemia. Discontinuation of CGM resulted in poorer glycemic control. The obtained results prove that the compensation of patients depends primarily on their motivation, willingness to follow medical prescriptions, careful glycemic control, and compliance with medical recommendations. Conclusions. For better control of the DM course, patients should use CGM. In order to assess diabetes compensation, it is not enough to consider only TIR. Time below range indicating hypoglycemia, time above range indicating hyperglycemia, glucose management indicator should also be taken into account. Discontinuation of CGM resulted in a loss of approximately half of the initial TIR gain achieved while using CGM. CGM is more favored among patients than a 7-point self-monitoring of blood glucose.