A new narrative review led by researchers at UCL and Birmingham Children's Hospital has found there is a lack of evidence to demonstrate the effective use of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) in people not living with diabetes (PNLD). In the study, published in Diabetic Medicine , researchers conclude there is currently little published evidence on how accurate CGMs are in measuring blood glucose levels in PNLD, nor sufficient evidence of what the health benefits or utility such information would provide. The researchers also suggest CGMs may have unintended adverse health effects in this user group and are now calling for better regulation.
In recent years, CGMs have helped transform the treatment of type-1 diabetes and have been used with good effect by people with type-2 diabetes who are on insulin therapy. The devices, originally developed for those with diabetes, are attached to the body and monitor blood glucose levels in real-time, transmitting the information to an insulin pump in people with type-1 diabetes that delivers the correct amount of insulin required to keep blood glucose levels within a defined range 2 . For those living with diabetes, CGMs are less burdensome and offer real-time trends in glucose changes compared to older testing methods, such as regular finger prick blood tests.
However, more recently CGMs have been increasingly marketed to PNLD for uses without a medical indication, such as health, wellness and lifestyle management, with some companies .
