Under-the-Skin Blood Sugar Monitor Boosts Diabetes Control

Sept. 8 -- MONDAY, Sept. 8 (HealthDay News) -- A device worn under the skin that measures blood sugar 24/7 can benefit people with type 1 diabetes, a new study shows.

"Continuous glucose monitoring" consists of a disposable blood sugar sensor placed under the skin, worn for a few days and then replaced. The sensor sends data to a transmitter which, in turn, sends it to a receiver worn like a pager. The receiver displays blood glucose levels on a continuous basis.

The device used in the study "monitors blood glucose about every five minutes," said lead researcher Dr. Roy W. Beck, from the Jaeb Center for Health Research in Tampa, Fla. "We evaluated how much benefit, if any, that could have on control of diabetes in both children and adults with type 1 diabetes," he said.

Type 1 diabetes, often called juvenile diabetes, occurs when the body doesn't produce enough insulin. It affects about 5 percent of all diabetics. Type 2 diabetes, the much more common form, is typically brought on by excess weight or other metabolic imbalances.

Beck has a personal reason for being concerned about type 1 diabetes.

"I have a son who has type 1 diabetes who has used continuous glucose monitoring for two years now every day, except for a few days when it was in for repair, during which time he felt a great loss at not having it. There are many others like him. He was not part of the study," he said

In the study, the researchers found that adults gained substantially better control of their diabetes when using continuous glucose monitoring versus a group using conventional, intermittent blood sugar management.

Improved diabetes control was determined by using what is called the hemoglobin A1c test, which measures how effective blood sugar control is over three months, Beck explained.

"In addition, we were able to get better and tighter control -- closer to normal -- of blood sugar without dangerously low blood sugar levels," Beck said.

The report, funded by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, was published in the Sept. 8 online edition of the New England Journal of Medicine. It was also expected to be presented Monday at a meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, in Rome.