Continuous glucose monitors improve blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes trial

A 26-week clinical trial, known as the CONNECT trial, has found that continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) significantly improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes who do not use insulin.

Published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the study involved 283 participants across 22 primary care practices in the United States. The research compared the use of the Dexcom G7 monitoring system against routine diabetes care. Participants using the continuous monitors saw their average HbA1c levels drop from 8.8% to 7.2%, whereas the routine-care group saw a smaller decrease from 8.7% to 8.0%.

In addition to improved HbA1c levels, the CGM group spent approximately five more hours per day within the target glucose range of 70 to 180 milligrams per deciliter compared to the routine-care group. The continuous monitoring technology, which measures glucose in the interstitial fluid, allows users to see real-time patterns related to meals and physical activity that traditional finger-prick tests might miss.