Real Time Flash Glucose Monitoring: Now a Reality in India

Abstract

Tight glycemic control has been recognised as the cornerstone of modern diabetes management. Until recently, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was the only reliable tool for measuring glycemic control, but it is not an ideal metric as it is retrospective, unable to pick up hypo- and hyperglycemic excursions and prone to interference by conditions such as anemia and hemoglobinopathies. The advent of continuous glucose monitoring systems is a giant leap in diabetes management as it enables visualisation of glucose trends over periods of time, helping in identification of hypo- and hypoglycemic events and enabling appropriate treatment decisions to be made. The recent launch of the real-time patient CGM in India is a further step in the right direction as it will empower patients to take control of their diabetes by providing them information on their glucose levels and trends in real time.