title: Continuous blood glucose monitoring in diabetes treatment.
abstract: Continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) is a developing technology in the field of diabetes treatment since it enables patients to effectively control and adjust their insulin therapy. Clinical trials have shown its efficacy in lowering HbAlc significantly especially in adults with type 1 diabetes and those with HbAlc >8%. Improvement is sustained for at least one year. Conflicting data exist for children. Most recent studies agree that the nearly daily use of CGMS is accompanied by significant lowering of HbA1c independent of age. However, the randomized clinical trials have shown that the use of CGMS does not reduce significantly the number of severe hypoglycemic episodes as it is expected, but recent data indicate that it reduces the time spent in hypoglycemia. Accuracy remains a key issue for CGMS, particularly in children and adolescents who may have increased variability of blood glucose. CGMS cost is another barrier to the everyday use since reimbursement of CGM is limited to a few countries only. This review will focus on the present status of the use of CGMS in type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients.
authors.affiliation: A Department of Pediatrics, P & A Kyriafeou Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece. agerasim@gmail.com
authors.forename: Andriani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vazeou
mesh_terms: D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects*; D015190:Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents; D007328:Insulin