Flash glucose monitoring improves glycemia in higher risk patients: a longitudinal, observational study under real-life settings

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of flash glucose monitoring in early and late changes in glycemic markers under real-life conditions. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Deidentified glucose results from 6802 flash glucose monitors were analyzed after dividing into high, medium and low-risk groups based on tertiles of time spent in hypoglycemia (min/day <70 mg/dL) or hyperglycemia (hours/day >240 mg/dL). Groups were further subdivided into tertiles of glucose scanning frequency and glycemic measures analyzed in the first 14 days and over 6 months. RESULTS: Improvement in dysglycemia mainly occurred in the first month of device use. Comparing first and last 14 study days, high-hyperglycemic-risk individuals showed reduced time >240 mg/dL (mean±SEM) from 6.07±0.06 to 5.73±0.09 hours/day (p<0.0001). High-frequency scanners showed 0.82 hours/day reduction in hyperglycemia (p<0.0001) whereas low-frequency scanners failed to demonstrate a benefit. High-hypoglycemic-risk individuals showed reduction in time ≤54 mg/dL from 90±1 to 69±2 min/day (p<0.0001) comparing first and last 14 study days. This reduction was evident in both low and high-frequency scanners but with reduced hyperglycemic exposure in the latter group. CONCLUSIONS: Under real-world conditions, flash monitoring is associated with rapid and sustained reduction in dysglycemia with high-frequency scanners demonstrating more significant reduction in hyperglycemia.