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New guidelines recommend continuous glucose monitoring devices for some diabetics

Category: Diabetes

Using continuous glucose monitoring devices may be one way for many people with type 1 diabetes to improve their HbA1c test scores, according to a new set of clinical practice guidelines from the Endocrine Society.

Continuous glucose monitoring technology - devices that are implanted beneath the skin that measures blood sugar in real time - have not always been viewed in the best light. Some experts have said that they can be unreliable and inaccurate in comparison to standard blood sugar testing.

However, the new clinical practice guidelines say that children with type 1 diabetes and certain adults with the condition may benefit from using the devices. Given the fact that they can deliver up-to-the-minute blood sugar measurements, they may enable diabetics to have a more accurate picture of their glucose management.

The guidelines pointed out that continuous glucose monitoring devices are still expensive and some health experts still believe they are not as accurate as traditional testing methods. However, given the total benefits, the group says most diabetics may experience improved blood sugar control with help from the technology.