Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Type 2 Diabetes and Beyond: A Review
Dower et al.
The finding, in our words
Continuous glucose monitoring in type 2 diabetes reduces haemoglobin A1c by 0.3% on average compared with finger-stick monitoring, with considerable variation in individual response. The modest benefit and limited evidence in prediabetes and untreated type 2 diabetes suggest CGM should be deployed selectively in decentralised care rather than as routine monitoring for all.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
A fully remote decentralised clinical trial in Danish adults with type 2 diabetes demonstrated operational feasibility with rapid recruitment, high retention (87 percent), and excellent adherence to continuous glucose monitoring (95 percent achieving ≥70 percent data coverage) and telemedicine visits (97 percent). Activity tracker adherence was poor (12 percent) due to technical issues, but remote safety monitoring was effective with no unexpected adverse events, supporting the viability of remote diabetes management.
Transitioning from SMBG to rtCGM while using the mySugr app improved glycaemic control across the cohort, with benefits sustained over six months; new users of the app showed the greatest improvements, and people with type 1 diabetes experienced a larger reduction in glucose variability whereas those with type 2 showed a relatively larger decrease in average glucose.
The review describes how continuous glucose monitoring systems are being adopted in Indian diabetes clinics, showing that real-time glucose data improves patient engagement and supports evidence-based decisions. For decentralised diagnostics, this demonstrates the practical value of patient-centric wearable sensors in routine care and emphasises that training and communication are critical for successful implementation.
Kesavadev et al., Therapeutic advances in endocrinology and metabolism · source ↗
Decentralised monitoring of people with type 2 diabetes using continuous glucose monitoring and a hybrid smartwatch was feasible, with high participant retention and successful collection of glucose, heart rate, activity, sleep and GPS data via a study app.
Ali et al., Journal of diabetes science and technology (paywalled) · source ↗
In a crossover trial of 23 adults with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes, a personalised diet based on predicted postprandial glucose responses improved continuous glucose monitoring measures significantly more than a Mediterranean diet, including lower average postprandial glucose response and less time in hyperglycaemia. A six-month follow-up of the personalised diet further improved glycaemic control and metabolic health, supporting its clinical utility for decentralised diabetes management.