Novel methods of continuous glucose monitoring and telehealth in the improvement of diabetes care: a narrative review

Abstract

Standard markers of glycaemic control, such as glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) and self-measurement of blood glucose (SMBG), have proven insufficient. HbAc1 is an averaged measurement that does not give information about glucose variability. SMBG provides limited, intermittent blood glucose (BG) values over the day and is associated with poor compliance because of invasiveness of the method and social discomfort. In contrast to glucometers, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices do not require finger-stick blood samples, but instead measure BG via percutaneous or subcutaneous sensors. The immediate benefits of CGM include prevention of hypoglycaemia or hyperglycaemia, and automated analysis of long-term glycaemic data enables reliable treatment adjustments. This review describes the principles of CGM and how CGM data have changed diabetes treatment standards by introducing new glycaemic control parameters. It also compares different CGM devices and examines how the convenience of sharing CGM data in telehealth applies to the current coronavirus-19 pandemic.