Abstract
Optimal glycemic control is essential to the management of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D). This is best achieved by precise and accurate methods of delivering insulin, using multiple daily injection (MDI) and continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII), as well as monitoring blood glucose, either by self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) and real-time continuous glucose monitoring (rtCGM).
The recent COMISAIR study compared four treatment strategies, and concluded that the method of glucose monitoring is more important than the means of insulin delivery in reducing glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and hypoglycemia in adults with T1D. The use of rtCGM + MDI represents an equivalent but lower-cost alternative to sensor-augmented insulin pump therapy and is superior to treatment with SMBG + MDI or SMBG + CSII.
The Dexcom G6 CGM device is one of the new generation of CGM devices and is designed to work with a range of insulin pumps, glucose meters, or other electronic devices used for diabetes management. This editorial is accompanied by an expert interview in which Kevin Sayer, of Dexcom, (Dexcom, San Diego, CA, USA) describes the unique features of the Dexcom G6 CGM.