Continuous Glucose Monitors

Abstract

Background: How patients are benefitting from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) remains poorly understood. The focus on numerical glucose values persists, even though access to the glucose waveform and rate of change may contribute more to improved control. This pilot study compared outcomes of patients using CGMs with or without access to the numerical values on their CGM. Methods: Ten persons with type 1 diabetes, naïve to CGM use, enrolled in a 12-week study. Subjects were randomly assigned to either unmodified CGM receivers, or to CGM receivers that had their numerical values obscured but otherwise functioned normally. HbA1c, quality of life (QLI-D), and fear of hypoglycemia (HFS) were assessed, at baseline and at week 12. Baseline HbA1c for the entire group was 7.46 ± 1.27%. At week 12 the experimental group HbA1c reduction was 1.5 ± 0.9% ( p < .05), the control group’s reduction was 0.06 ± 0.61% ( p > .05). Repeated measures testing revealed no significant difference in HbA1c reduction between groups. Both groups had reductions in HFS; these reductions were statistically significant within groups ( p < .05), but not between groups. QLI-D indices demonstrated improvements ( p < .05) in QLI-D total and the health and family subscales, but not between groups. Conclusions: The results of this pilot study suggest that benefits of CGM extend beyond reductions in HbA1c to reductions in fear of hypoglycemia and improvements in quality of life. The display of a numerical glucose value did not improve control when compared to numerically blinded units.