Use of Continuous Glucose Monitors to Manage Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Progress, Challenges, and Recommendations

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes (T1D) management has been revolutionized with the development and routine utilization of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). CGM technology has allowed for the ability to track dynamic glycemic fluctuations and trends over time allowing for optimization of medical therapy and the prevention of dangerous hypoglycemic events. This review details currently-available real-time and intermittently-scanned CGM devices, clinical benefits, and challenges of CGM use, and current guidelines supporting its use in the clinical care of patients with T1D. We additionally describe future issues that will need to be addressed as CGM technology continues to evolve.

Keywords:

• continuous glucose monitoring
• type 1 diabetes
• time in range
• hemoglobin A1c

Disclosure

JGF, ZCM, and EDS report no conflicts of interest in this work. GA has received research support to Northwestern University from Dexcom, Emmes, Fractyl Health, Insulet, Tandem Diabetes, and Welldoc. GA has served as a consultant for Bayer Healthcare, Dexcom, Eli-Lilly, and Insulet.