Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring and Multiple Insulin Injections Are Effective for Glycemic Control

Hypoglycemia, a barrier to glycemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes, is more likely to occur in patients with impaired hypoglycemia awareness or past severe hypoglycemia. Real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM) helps prevent hypoglycemia in patients with excess hypoglycemic risk; however, until now, this effect has not been studied in patients who use multiple daily insulin injections (MDI) rather than more-expensive, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion pumps.

German researchers randomized 149 MDI-treated patients with type 1 diabetes (glycosylated hemoglobin level, ≤9.0%) and risk factors for hypoglycemia. First, all patients wore masked rtCGM devices for 4 weeks to assess baseline glycemic control. Next, patients were…