Effect of Flash Glucose Monitoring Technology on Glycemic Control and Treatment Satisfaction in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: To assess treatment satisfaction and the effectiveness of a flash glucose monitoring (FGM) system in patients with type 2 diabetes using insulin.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: A total of 101 patients with type 2 diabetes on multiple daily insulin injections (MDI) for at least 1 year were assigned randomly to the FGM intervention ( n = 53) or the standard care (control) group ( n = 48) and followed for 10 weeks. Both groups were instructed to adjust their insulin doses in face-to-face and telephone visits. Satisfaction with treatment, quality of life, comfort using FGM, HbA1c , and frequency of hypoglycemic events were evaluated.

RESULTS: The intervention group found treatment significantly more flexible ( P = 0.019) and would recommend it to their counterparts ( P = 0.023). Satisfaction using the FGM system was high. The changes in HbA1c were -0.82% (9 mmol/mol) vs. -0.33% (3.6 mmol/mol) in the intervention and control group, respectively ( P = 0.005); in nonprespecified post hoc analysis, 68.6% of the patients in the intervention group had their HbA1c reduced by ≥0.5% (5.5 mmol/mol) compared with 30.2% in the control group ( P < 0.001), and 39.2% had their HbA1c reduced by ≥1.0% (10.9 mmol/mol) vs. 18.6% in the control group ( P = 0.0023) without an increased frequency of hypoglycemia.

CONCLUSIONS: FGM tends to improve treatment satisfaction and may lead to amelioration of glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes on MDI without increasing the frequency of hypoglycemia.