Numerical and clinical precision of continuous glucose monitoring in Colombian patients treated with insulin infusion pump with automated suspension in hypoglycemia

Numerical and clinical precision in hypoglycemia of the intermittent FreeStyle Libre glucose monitoring through an NFC-Bluetooth transmitter associated with the xDrip+ algorithm in diabetic patients under insulin therapy

INTRODUCTION

There are data capture devices that attach to the FreeStyle Libre sensor and convert its communication from NFC (Near-field communication) to Bluetooth technology, generating real-time continuous glucose monitoring. The accuracy of hypoglycemia measurements displayed by smartphone apps using this device has not been established.

METHODS

Study of diagnostic tests. Numerical accuracy was evaluated, utilizing the absolute difference with respect to capillary glucometry (ISO 15197:2015 standard) and clinical accuracy, using the Clarke and Parkes (Consensus) error grids, for glucose measurements less than 70mg/dL performed with the FreeStyle Libre system and with the digital estimation xDrip+ app, in diabetic patients managed with insulin therapy.

RESULTS

Twenty-seven patients were included (TIR 73.4%, TBR70 5.6%), who contributed 83 hypoglycemic events. Numerical accuracy was adequate in similar proportions with the FreeStyle Libre system compared to the xDrip+ app (81.92% vs. 68.67%, p=0.0630). The clinical accuracy evaluation showed that 92.8% of the measurements for xDrip+ and 98.8% for FreeStyle libre met the criteria according to the Parkes (Consensus) grid (p=0.0535); and 79.5% and 91.6% of the measurements met the criteria according to the Clarke grid (p=0.0273), being higher with FreeStyle libre.

CONCLUSIONS

The use of the NFC-Bluetooth transmitter (Miao-Miao) associated with the xDrip+ app does not improve numerical or clinical accuracy for detecting hypoglycemic events in diabetic patients managed with insulin therapy, compared to the FreeStyle Libre device.

Survey on hypoglycemia among insulin-treated patients with diabetes: The Colombian International Operations Hypoglycemia Assessment Tool population

Introduction:

The non-interventional International Operations Hypoglycemia Assessment Tool (IO-HAT) study assessed the incidence of hypoglycemia in patients with insulin-treated diabetes across nine countries, including a cohort of patients in Colombia.

Materials and methods:

Hypoglycemia incidence among patients with insulin-treated diabetes was assessed across 26 sites in Colombia. Hypoglycaemic events (any, nocturnal or severe) were reported in self-assessment questionnaires (SAQ) and patient diaries based on capillary blood glucose measurement or symptoms. Retrospective events (severe events 6 months before baseline and any event 4 weeks before baseline) were recorded in SAQ, Part 1, and prospective events (4 weeks from baseline) were recorded in SAQ, Part 2, and patient diaries. Differences in hypoglycemia incidence reported in the retrospective and prospective periods were assessed using two-sided tests.

Results:

Of the 664 patients assessed, 213 had type 1 diabetes (T1D) and 451 had type 2 diabetes (T2D). Nearly all patients experienced at least one hypoglycaemic event in the prospective period (97.1% T1D; 93.3% T2D). Rates of hypoglycemia (events per person- year, PPY) were higher prospectively than retrospectively for any hypoglycemia (T1 D: 121.6 vs. 83.2, p<0.001; T2D: 28.1 vs. 24.6, p=0.127) and severe hypoglycemia (T 1D: 15.3 vs. 9.2, p=0.605; T 2 D: 9.5 vs. 3.5 p=0.040).

Conclusion:

These results, the first from a patient-reported dataset on hypoglycemia in insulin-treated patients with diabetes in Colombia, show that patients reported higher rates of any hypoglycemia during the prospective period.

Devices for continuous monitoring of glucose: update in technology

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is a tool that allows constant evaluation of glycemic control, providing data such as the trend and fluctuation of interstitial glucose levels over time. In clinical practice, there are two modalities: the professional or retrospective and the personal or real-time CGM (RT-CGM). The latest-generation sensors are more accurate and sensitive for hypoglycemia, improving adherence to self-monitoring, which has allowed optimizing glycemic control. The development of algorithms that allow the suspension of the infusion of insulin during hypoglycemia gave rise to the integrated therapy or sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy with low glucose suspend, which has proven to be an effective and safe alternative in the treatment of diabetic patients with high risk of hypoglycemia. The objective of this review is to present the evidence of the advantages of RT-CGM, the clinical impact of integrated therapy, and cost-effectiveness of its implementation in the treatment of patients with diabetes mellitus.