Continuous Glucose Monitors Help Reduce A1c in Patients with Diabetes

Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) can lead to clinically meaningful and sustained reductions in A1c for patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, according to a poster presented at the American Diabetes Association 84th Scientific Sessions. The authors said that the findings suggest a population approach to CGM use could be beneficial.¹

Diabetes is the eighth leading cause of death and disability in the world, with over 500 million people being impacted by the disease globally. According to some estimates, the prevalence of diabetes is expected to increase significantly, reaching 1.31 billion people by the year 2050. Due to the substantial burden this will place on health care systems, prevention measures aimed at controlling diabetes risk factors are critical.²

READ MORE: Examining the Role of Remote CGM in Diabetes Management

CGM technology has proven to help patients with diabetes improve glycemic control, including reductions in A1c levels, average blood glucose levels, and hypoglycemic events.³ Although CGM adoption has increased, there are still many barriers that limit their uptake, such as affordability, social pressures, and a lack of education about the devices.⁴

A team of investigators conducted a study to examine glycemic changes related to real-world CGM use. Data for the retrospective observational study was gathered from Aetna medical claims data. The study cohort included 7814 patients who had a CGM claim from January 2019 through December 2021.

The mean age of the patients was 53, 46% were female, 56% were white, 43% had Medicare, and 25% had type 1 diabetes. Patients were included if their A1c was measured in the 3 months prior to the index date and during a follow-up period.

At baseline, A1c for all patients was greater than 8. Investigators found that at follow-up, there were significant reductions in A1c. Additionally, an analysis of all A1c measures showed that the reductions occurred primarily in the first 3 months of CGM use and were sustained through the 12-month study period.

“CGM was associated with clinically meaningful and sustained reductions in A1c for patients with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, suggesting a population approach to CGM use for all patients with diabetes may be warranted,” the authors concluded.

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References

1. Norman GJ, Fernandes J, Nemlekar P, et al. A1C Change after Initiating Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) for People with Diabetes in a Large U.S. Managed Health Care Plan. Presented at: American Diabetes Association 84th Scientific Sessions; June 21-24, 2024; Orlando, FL. Abstract 143-OR.

2. GBD 2021 Diabetes Collaborators. Global, regional, and national burden of diabetes from 1990 to 2021, with projections of prevalence to 2050: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. Lancet. 2023 Jul 15;402(10397):203-234. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01301-6. Epub 2023 Jun 22. Erratum in: Lancet. 2023 Sep 30;402(10408):1132. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(23)02044-5. PMID: 37356446; PMCID: PMC10364581.

3. Manov AE, Chauhan S, Dhillon G, et al. The Effectiveness of Continuous Glucose Monitoring Devices in Managing Uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus: A Retrospective Study. Cureus. 2023 Jul 27;15(7):e42545. doi: 10.7759/cureus.42545. PMID: 37637581; PMCID: PMC10460137.

4. Peyyety V, Zupa MF, Hewitt B, et al. Barriers and Facilitators to Uptake of Continuous Glucose Monitoring for Management of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Youth. Sci Diabetes Self Manag Care. 2023;49(6):426-437. doi:10.1177/26350106231205030