By keeping tabs on the data from Abbott’s wearable continuous glucose monitor, people with Type 1 diabetes were able to better control their blood sugar and reduce their HbA1c levels after six months, according to a randomized study.
The medtech’s FreeStyle Libre 2 system also showed improvements in user-reported surveys that tracked the burdens associated with constantly being aware of changing glucose levels. The study’s results were published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
“This data adds to the growing body of evidence that demonstrates the technology helps bring HbA1c levels closer to the target range, which ultimately decreases risks of further complications,” study author Lalantha Leelarathna, Ph.D., a diabetologist consultant for the University of Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, said in an Oct. 6 release from Abbott.
The independent study, funded by Diabetes UK, enrolled people ages 16 and up that have had trouble controlling their diabetes while receiving insulin for at least one year. The 156 participants began the trial with HbA1c levels between 7.5% and 11%, with an average of 8.7%.
After 24 weeks, people who used the FreeStyle Libre 2 saw their HbA1c measures drop by an average of 0.8 percentage points, while people self-monitoring their blood glucose with fingerstick testing only dropped by an average of 0.2.
The CGM users also spent an extra 130 minutes per day keeping their glucose levels within a healthy range and 43 fewer minutes per day with dangerously low blood sugar, according to the study.
“This clinically significant change in HbA1c levels shows FreeStyle Libre technology empowers people to make lifestyle decisions that improve their glucose control and, ultimately, may result in a reduction in diabetes-related health problems down the line,” said Mahmood Kazemi, M.D., chief medical officer for Abbott's diabetes business, in the release. Abbott was not involved in the execution or funding of the study.
Worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days, Abbott’s diabetes sensor recently demonstrated that it could help Type 2 diabetes patients avoid trips to the hospital.
Presented in September at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes, that study examined health claims data from a French national database, spanning nearly 6,000 people who had been receiving once-daily basal insulin therapy and used the FreeStyle Libre system for at least a year.
Researchers found that the total number of acute emergencies dropped by about 67%—that includes a 75% drop in admissions for diabetic ketoacidosis and a 44% reduction in severe hypoglycemia.
The device’s latest version, the FreeStyle Libre 3, received clearance from the FDA this past May, though it’s been available in Europe for more than two years. As Abbott’s smallest, the sensor measures about the width of two stacked pennies.