Recent research in diabetes technologies has yielded promising solutions to improve diabetes care. A recent study published in the ‘Jama Open Network’ has revealed that the use of real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rt-CGM) was associated with better glycemic control in youth with type 1 diabetes when compared to intermittently scanned CGM.

      This multinational cohort study included children, adolescents, and young adults under the age of 21 with type 1 diabetes for a minimum of 6 months. Participants were enrolled from the international Better Control in Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes: Working to Create Centers of Reference (SWEET) registry and data from 21 countries were included in the study. The participants were divided into four treatment modalities: intermittently scanned CGM with or without insulin pump use and real-time CGM with or without insulin pump use.

      Among the 5219 participants (52.0% male, median age 14.4 years), the median duration of diabetes was 5.2 years, and the median hemoglobin A1C level was 7.4%. The study found that the proportion of participants achieving the recommended greater than 70% time in range target was highest among those using real-time CGM plus insulin pump (36.2% [95% CI, 33.9%-38.4%]), followed by real-time CGM plus injection (20.9% [95% CI, 18.0%-24.1%]), intermittently scanned CGM plus injection (12.5% [95% CI, 10.7%-14.4%]), and intermittently scanned CGM plus insulin pump (11.3% [95% CI, 9.2%-13.8%]).

      After adjusting for sex, age, diabetes duration, and body mass index standard deviation score, the study found that adjusted time in range was highest among real-time CGM plus insulin pump users (64.7% [95% CI, 62.6%-66.7%]). The results showed that concurrent use of real-time CGM and an insulin pump was associated with an increased probability of achieving recommended clinical targets and time in range target, as well as a lower probability of severe adverse events compared to other treatment modalities.

      This study highlights the potential benefits of using real-time CGM and an insulin pump together in the management of type 1 diabetes, particularly in youth. By monitoring glucose levels in real-time, patients can make informed decisions regarding insulin dosing and dietary choices, leading to better glycemic control and reducing the risk of adverse events. This research provides valuable insights into the development of diabetes technologies and their role in improving diabetes care.

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