The incidence of diabetes has seen a rise in the past few years. Diabetes is a condition that occurs when the pancreas do not produce enough insulin or the body does not use the insulin properly. It can lead to complications of the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys, and nerves; if neglected.  There are two types of diabetes – Type 1 and Type 2.

Diabetes requires regular monitoring

It is difficult to keep glucose levels under control without proper management. One can manage diabetes and reduce the risk of severe complications through medication, monitoring glucose levels, exercise, a balanced diet, and lifestyle changes. Diabetes does not mean you have a lifetime ban on eating sweets. Even though my father has diabetes, he did not give up eating sweets. He eats sweets in limited quantities.

Diabetes requires regular monitoring. The absence of regular monitoring may lead to delays in treatment and diabetes-related complications. A Continuous Glucose Monitoring device solves this problem. It helps in monitoring glucose levels on a continuous basis, thereby supporting holistic diabetes management. A continuous glucose monitoring device (CGM) is a wearable device that helps you to track your glucose levels round-the-clock with simple scan.

How Continous Glucose Monitoring is different from Traditional Glucose Monitoring?

Traditional glucose monitoring devices provide just a single reading. Results are directly dependent upon the time of sample collection. Users do not get any information regarding how their glucose levels change throughout the day. Sometimes, this system requires daily calibrations with painful finger pricks.

In Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) the user gets a clear picture of how their blood glucose levels change throughout the day by getting glucose values without pricking their finger.  A CGM system has a sensor and reader. The sensor can be applied to the back of the upper arm and can be used for up to 14 days. It does not interfere with your daily activities and ond can take a bath or swim while wearing it.

In 2008, during a routine check-up, my father came to know that his blood sugar levels were high. In those days, glucometers were not popular. The only way to find out blood sugar levels was a blood test. For that, one had to visit a lab on an empty stomach to give the blood sample and wait till late evening for the reports. Not only was this inconvenient but also painful due to pricks.

But now, thanks to technological advancement, my father has started using Continuous Glucose Monitoring system for tracking glucose levels. FreeStyle Libre by Abbott is not just painless and user-friendly but also very helpful in terms of data insights on your glucose levels.

It has a sensor that that can be attached to the back of your upper arm and can be worn for upto 14 days. It’s water proof and one can go about their routine tasks.

The reader is used to scan the sensor to get detailed insights on your glucose readings. Again, it’s very convenient and discreet as one can scan through clothes.

The reader shows your current glucose reading and a glucose trend arrow that shows if the glucose levels are going up, going down or staying steady. One can understand the impact of food and physical activity on glucose levels using the trends and daily patterns.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring devices provide real-time data for glucose monitoring

A CGM device helps you to track your glucose levels round-the-clock in real time. The real-time data help the user to respond to fluctuating blood glucose levels and make informed decisions, thus helping manage diabetes and its related complications. As I mentioned before, the user can easily understand the glucose level trend with the help of arrows and graphs. The device records highs and lows, post-meal spikes, and even any worrying overnight trends, which can help guide further treatment decisions.

CGM also uses a metric called Time in Range (TIR), which refers to the percentage of time in a day that an individual spends in the target glucose range. According to the American Diabetes Association, people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes should aim for a TIR of at least 70% of readings. TIR plays an important role in monitoring diabetes by helping map the extent of glycemic control, which can guide diabetes management practices – across diet, exercise, and treatment – in real-time.

You can know more about Continuous Glucose Monitoring here.

Buy Freestyle libre for yourself or your family members here.

The information mentioned in this document is only suggestive/for patient education and shall not be considered as a substitute for doctor’s advice or recommendations from Abbott. Please consult your doctor for more information 

Any photos displayed are for illustrative purposes only. Any person depicted in such photos is a model.