Continuous Glucose Monitoring Assists Diabetes Management

Assessments are carried out over a three day period to help the clinician identify excursions from optimal glucose levels, revealing hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, and patterns that may otherwise be missed with fingerstick and hemoglobin A1C testing alone. The system setup can be completed in a few minutes, and it includes inserting a glucose sensor into the patient’s skin, educating the patient, and connecting the iPro2 to the sensor.

The patient then conducts normal daily activities while the iPro2 records and stores as many as 288 glucose readings over each 24-hour period. The system is adaptable to most patients’ lifestyle due to its small, light, and watertight profile, and no patient interaction with the device is necessary. After three days of wear, the patient returns iPro2 for upload to web-based software, which provides a summary of glucose data in easy-to-read reports. The clinician can then adjust the patient’s glucose management plan accordingly. Automatic upload of the 10 most commonly used blood glucose meters is supported. The iPro2 Professional CGM system is a product of Medtronic (Minneapolis, MN, USA).

“CGM adoption is on the rise,” said Greg Meehan, VP and general manager for the continuous glucose monitoring business at Medtronic. “We believe the combination of improved reimbursement for both clinicians and patients, increased clinical evidence … as well as ongoing product advancements, are moving CGM devices toward the standard of care for diabetes management.”

Professional CGM is intended for patients with Type I or Type II diabetes who are persistently unaware of extreme highs and lows in their glucose levels. Proper glucose control may help these patients avoid complications associated with diabetes, including blindness, kidney failure, amputation, impotence, and heart disease.

Related Links:
Medtronic