HOW CGMS CAN IMPROVE T2 DIABETES CARE
Finger poke blood sugar testing provides only a snapshot in time, rather than a comprehensive view of a person’s glucose over the course of an entire day. For example, imagine a patient with a relatively good HbA1c of 6.5% who checks their sugar by pricking their fingers twice a day, once in the morning, and once before bed. Both of these readings are usually in the 120-150 range. Between these readings and their A1c result, the patient’s provider does not recommend any changes to diet and medications. However, what this does not show is that this individual is experiencing high glucose levels of 200-250 after meals, and low glucose values of 58-70 during the night, resulting in their average A1c of 6.5%. By utilizing a CGM, this individual and their provider are able to address both medication optimization and diet modification. After wearing a CGM for 14 days, the patient and provider see these peaks and valleys and the provider suggests that the patient start a low carbohydrate diet to reduce their high glucose peaks after meals, as well as reduce their nighttime basal insulin by 20% to prevent their lows. After a few weeks, the patient wears another CGM sensor and they see that their post meal glucose values are now between 130-160, and that they are no longer having lows at night. This example helps demonstrate the very real benefit that CGM has for patients with type 2 diabetes.
See the evidence