In light of National Diabetes Month in November manufacturers and healthcare professionals alike are aiming to increase awareness of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) as a health management tool for those with type 1 diabetes. Dexcom, a leading manufacturer in CGM devices, has launched a public awareness campaign for just this purpose. The campaign, which is titled “Life (and Death) Happens Between Finger Sticks” is intended to spread a message about the need for CGM as a solution to protect people with diabetes at critical times such as while sleeping or driving.
Studies show that one in four people with Type I diabetes experience hypoglycemic unawareness, a complication of diabetes in which the patient is unaware of a dangerous drop in blood sugar because it fails to produce the usual symptoms.
It’s been found that drivers with type 1 diabetes are likely to have more than twice as many collisions as their non-diabetic spouses, and on average people with diabetes visit the emergency room three times a year. These phenomena are the result of hypoglycemic unawareness, which can cause a loss of mental function and motor skills. "Every day, people are dying unnecessarily, simply because they could not predict or detect a hypoglycemic event," said Steve Edelman, M.D., founder and director of Taking Control of Your Diabetes, a not-for-profit educational organization. "That's a tragic outcome, especially because there is modern technology available right now that can prevent it."
The CGM technology Dr. Edelman is referring to is now available from several manufacturers, including the Dexcom Seven® Plus, the Medtronic Guardian®, and the Abbott Navigator® as leaders in this technology. This technology has seen such improvements recently that the Endocrine Society has now issued a recommendation for clinical practices to use CGM for treatments of adults, adolescents, and children with type 1 diabetes. While there are priceless benefits to human health, the cost savings benefits of prevented emergency and hospital care make a great argument for the increased usage of CGM for diabetes management. As awareness increases and technology continues to improve we hope to see CGM as a recognized standard of care, to reduce healthcare costs and increase the well-being of those with type 1 diabetes.
Resources:
http://www.diabetesincontrol.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11639&catid=1&Itemid=17
http://investor.shareholder.com/dexcom/releaseDetail.cfm?ReleaseID=621829
http://www.diabeticinnovations.com/diabetes-facts.htm
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