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Tests of all three brands of continuous glucose monitoring devices showed that people with type 1 diabetes who used them consistently could keep their blood sugar levels within the desired range, the researchers found. Abbott Laboratories, Medtronic and DexCom Inc all make the devices.
Adults were far more likely to use the devices consistently and to benefit from them, the team of researchers told the European Association for the Study of Diabetes annual meeting in Rome.
Reduces other complications
Tight blood sugar control reduces the risk of long-term complications from diabetes such as blindness, kidney failure, heart disease or amputation.
The researchers said 30% of those using the monitors got their haemoglobin a1c readings - a measure of average blood sugar levels - to below the desired level of 7. This compared to 7% of people using traditional methods, they reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The absolute drop in a1c was 0.53 - which translates into a much lower risk of eye damage that can lead to blindness, said Dr Aaron Kowalski of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which funded and conducted the study.
"Every 10% you lower your a1c is about a 40% reduction in the risk of diabetic retinopathy," Kowalski said.
The researchers studied 322 adults and children randomly assigned to use either a continuous monitoring device or to continue to manage their diabetes as normal.
Consistent use
The year-long study has been broken into two parts and the researchers were giving their six-month findings.
The adults aged 25 and older were more likely to use the monitors consistently and also had the most significantly improved control of blood sugar, the researchers found.
Teens and children aged 8 to 15 did not significantly improve their blood sugar levels, although those who reported they used the devices better did, the researchers said.
"Previously, we would stick our fingers four to six times a day," Kowalski said. The devices use a small tube inserted under the skin to make measurements every five minutes or so and alert the patient, who can adjust his or her eating or inject insulin as needed.
"These results are very important because they show that continuous glucose monitors are more than simply devices of convenience for people with diabetes - they are tools that can substantially improve blood sugar control when used regularly," he concluded. - (Maggie Fox/Reuters Health)
Read more:
Diabetes Centre
September 2008
