Diabetes Treatment Review

Applications of continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pump therapy in the prevention of diabetic hypoglycemia

Nicole Meinel of the Diabetic Hypoglycemia Editorial Team

Diabetic Hypoglycemia January 2011, Volume 3, Issue 3: page 21-25

Abstract

This Treatment Review presents recently published data on the effectiveness of continuous glucose monitors (CGM) and on sensor-augmented insulin-pump therapy in type 1 diabetes patients. The data suggest CGM may prove a useful tool in
detecting delayed increases or decreases in glucose levels during night-time sleep after an exercise program. Sensor-augmented insulin therapy/continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) was found to improve glycemic control and to
lower the risk of severe episodes of hypoglycemia both in adults and children with type 1 diabetes after one year in
comparison with standard injection regimens. CGM is becoming an accepted adjunct to traditional self-monitoring of
capillary blood glucose, and these data support the marriage of continuous glucose sensors to CSII as the first step towards the development of a true artificial pancreas.

Key words: hypoglycemia, type 1 diabetes, exercise, sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy, continuous glucose
monitoring, continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion