No more finger pricks: A continuous glucose monitor benefits patients with diabetes in more ways than one

[Northerner]

A 15-center study of 175 patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes in JAMA found that continuous glucose monitoring, compared to blood glucose meter monitoring, or finger pricking, significantly decreased their hemoglobin A1C over eight months (-1.1% versus -0.16%, respectively.)

Although the benefits of continuous glucose monitoring for patients with diabetes has been demonstrated before, the benefits have only been well studied in patients with type 1 diabetes or patients with type 2 treated with multiple daily insulin injections, referred to as prandial insulin.

Study author Rodica Busui, M.D., Ph.D., also the vice chair of clinical research in the Department of Internal Medicine at University of Michigan Health, says this work is one of the first to thoroughly understand the impact of having access to and using a continuous glucose monitor in adults with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes that are only treated with basal insulin, a long-acting insulin designed to be injected once or twice daily to provide an adequate level of insulin throughout the day and night

No more finger pricks: A continuous glucose monitor benefits patients with diabetes in more ways than one

A 15-center study of 175 patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes found that continuous glucose monitoring, compared to blood glucose meter monitoring, or finger pricking, significantly decreased their hemoglobin A1C over eight months.

www.sciencedaily.com

 

[ColinUK]

Makes sense. I really dislike the finger pricking and found it useful but also at times a complete mindf…

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Ah this is great news!

It will be a long road ahead for sure, but this is just the sort of data added to the literature, with a good sized study showing significant benefit in outcomes that will gradually build a case for wider use of CGM in T2.

 

[mikeyB]

This just confirms my long held view that regular testing for T2s is vital for better control, rather than the current trend for adding more medication. When I was first diagnosed, I was assumed instantly to be T2. And I was given a full supply of test strips and reader. That was the norm 26 years ago. It was how I found out, unsurprised, that I was T1, but that’s irrelevant.

The policy of not routinely giving T2s test strips was reverse engineered. It cost money, so medical advice was invented to justify the policy. It is wrong advice, and older doctors (like me) can remember when it was considered just natural to give diabetics of any stripe testing kits to keep folk healthy.

It’s a money decision, because there are so many T2s, not in any sense a public health decision. And that is why this JAMA report will be completely ignored.

It won’t be a long road ahead, @everydayupsanddowns, it will never happen. Not in England, anyway, where the NHS is grossly underfunded.

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Well you are right to be skeptical and cautious for sure - and T1 prescription was targeted towards a small proportion of a significantly smaller cohort - but it’s a start at least.

The QALY threshold does allow expensive therapies, if there’s data that shows positive outcomes and the health economics bods can get the clinical data and risk reductions to line up. Then all you need is to have the right chair with the right mindset to not brush it all under the carpet.

Of course it would be SO MUCH easier if the positive data was being provided by a pharmaceutical rather than a device. I’ve heard exasperated comments from specialists who know the inner workings of this stuff very well who are completely sure that if CGM was a tablet or injectable, and perhaps cynically not related to diabetes, but something sexier, the data would be considered utterly compelling for widespread use.

I will cling to my little glimmer of hope though. Even fairly narrow ‘access for some in some particular circumstances’ would be a good thing IMO. 🙂

 

[mikeyB]

Well, I’ll leave you with your little glimmer of hope. Everyone who buys a Lottery ticket has the same….😉🙂

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Well, I’ll leave you with your little glimmer of hope. Everyone who buys a Lottery ticket has the same….😉🙂

LOL!

And one of them wins. Every week.