Real-time continuous glucose monitoring.
OBJECTIVE
To summarize the current literature on real-time continuous glucose monitors, focusing on devices that have been approved or are pending approval.


RESULTS
Real-time continuous glucose sensors are new tools to assist in diabetes management. Several devices are currently being sold and additional monitors are expected to be available shortly. These sensors measure interstitial glucose - a distinct physiologic space when compared with the blood glucose. The ability to recognize trends in blood glucose levels provides a new paradigm for making insulin dose decisions and treating hypo- and hyperglycemia.


CONCLUSIONS
Real-time continuous glucose monitoring systems are currently less accurate than home glucose meters, but provide information every 1-5 min throughout the day and night with alarms for hyper- and hypoglycemia, providing information on glucose trends and nocturnal glycemic excursions. Current real-time sensors are behavior modification tools. Thus, improvements in diabetes control depend on the willingness of patients to modify their diabetes management based on information provided by these devices.
Buckingham
Bruce
B
Department of Pediatric Endocrinology, Stanford Medical Center, Stanford, California 94305-5208, USA. Buckingham@stanford.edu
Caswell
Kimberly
K
Wilson
Darrell M
DM
D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis; D018670:Monitoring, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D001786:Blood Glucose; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin