Historically, that has needed good
old-fashioned pen and paper.
New models have Bluetooth
(such as the Accu-Chek Guide or
Contour Next One meters) or the
capacity to wirelessly sync BGL
results via mobile signal. Using
the companion app, you can
access and review results, record
food, activity, and medication
events, and see patterns. Many
even let you set out-of-range
alerts or reminders to check.
Plus, you can print and send
reports to your support team.
CONTINUOUS GLUCOSE
MONITORS (CGMS)
CGMs let users monitor glucose
levels every few minutes across
24 hours a day. This can help
track trends and see how your
body reacts during exercise and
at mealtimes. “If you go to a
football game and someone takes
a snapshot four times during
the game, you’ll have a different
perception of what happened
than if you have a complete video
that you can pause, rewind and
home in on a particular play,” says
Sherr. “The CGMs are like that
video. They provide this whole
other layer of information.” Many
also allow instant sharing with
loved ones, healthcare providers
and caregivers via app or website.
With a CGM, the user inserts
the device so a tiny sensor sits
under the skin, where it measures
interstitial glucose (the glucose
between cells). A transmitter
attached to the sensor then sends
the data to a receiver (such as a
pump, reader or smartphone).
Unlike traditional blood glucose
meters, which measure capillary
blood through finger sticks and
provide instant measurements,
CGMs have a few-minutes lag
time. And they can take several
hours to warm up before they
begin reading BGLs. The upshot:
CGMs provide trend lines over
time, so you can see how often
you stay within your target range- several models also sound an
alarm when you veer outside of it.
Healthcare providers also
benefit from the technology.
“Now, I can see a patient’s
tracings over a few weeks and
make adjustments to his or her
insulin pump settings much more
accurately than if I’m looking at
just a few dozen blood [glucose]
levels over a one- or two-week
period,” says Sasan Mirfakhraee,
medical director of the Diabetes
Management Center at the
University of Texas Southwestern
Medical Center. For people with
type 2, even temporary use of
a CGM can help with lifestyle
and medication adjustments.
Each CGM offers different
features. Medtronic’s Guardian
Connect system requires finger-
stick calibration to ensure
accurate readings and has a
seven-day wear time, but can
be combined with innovative
smartphone technology. Abbott’s
newest version of the FreeStyle
Libre has the longest approved
wear time – 14 days – and takes
readings when the sensor is
scanned by the handheld reader
or an iPhone using the FreeStyle
LibreLink app. Plus, like the
Dexcom G5, the FreeStyle
Libre doesn’t require finger
sticks to calibrate. Dexcom G5
has a 10-day wear time and lets
you automatically see glucose
readings on a smart device
and share that data.INSULIN PUMPS
Pumps have been around for
decades, but new technology
makes insulin delivery safer,DEXCOM G5
(with smartphone
and smartwatch
readings)MEDTRONIC
MINIMED
670G &
GUARDIAN
SENSORCONTOUR
NEXT ONE102 NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2019 diabetic living