- Fewer diabetes-related complications and hospitalizations among people with type 2 diabetes who were not on intensive insulin therapy.
Researchers found that using the FreeStyle Libre system is associated with a sizeable reduction of 30% in acute diabetes events, or complications that can arise from diabetes, and 13% in hospitalizations for any reason. The data suggest significant savings by lowering costly diabetes-related complications and hospitalizations.
More findings showed substantial reductions in hospitalizations from diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a serious condition that can lead to diabetic coma or even death. With the FreeStyle Libre system, annual DKA rates dramatically dropped by 52% in those with type 1 diabetes and 47% in those with type 2 diabetes.
Wearables like the FreeStyle Libre system allow people to see where their glucose levels are, where they’ve been and where they are heading to make more informed decisions to better manage their condition — all with a simple scan of your sensor.
“All persons with diabetes need to know what their glucose is. It’s a foundational component for diabetes management,” Miller said.
The FreeStyle Libre system is showing users the road ahead to manage their diabetes in ways that work best for them.
Miller, a family practice physician at High Lakes Health Care in Oregon, has the pedal to the metal on her way to her next meeting.
But before she exits, she wants to be sure it’s clear who can benefit from taking hold of the CGM wheel. Not using insulin in your care should not be a roadblock.
“We tend to lump things: ‘Oh, unless you have diabetes and take multiple shots, you don’t need a CGM.’ What do you mean? CGM data mean different things for different people. But every person with diabetes, irrespective of their treatment, can benefit from the data CGMs like FreeStyle Libre gives them,” she said.
And off she went, with three minutes to spare.
1Miller, Brandner et al. HbA1c Reduction After Initiation of the FreeStyle Libre System in Type 2 Diabetes Patients on Long-Acting Insulin or Non-Insulin Therapy.
2American Diabetes Association. A1C and eAG. http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/a1c/.