Continuous glucose monitoring in children, adolescents, and adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus: analysis from the prospective DPV diabetes documentation and quality management system from Germany and Austria

Abstract

Objective: To determine frequency, duration, and relationship of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to glycemic control and rate of hypoglycemia in children and adults in Germany and Austria.

Research design and methods: From 59,920 patients documented in the DPV (Diabetessoftware zur prospektiven Verlaufsdokumentation) database, 144,385 sensor days of 2874 patients using CGM between January 2008 and September 2010 were analyzed.

Results: Overall, 4.8% of patients used CGM. In pediatric patients, study period (p = 0.0309), age (p = 0.0140), insulin dose (p < 0.0001), and use of insulin analogs (p < 0.0001) significantly influenced hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), but duration of diabetes, sex, and CGM use did not. In contrast, adults with longer CGM use (>30 d) had significantly lower HbA1c (p < 0.0016). Severe hypoglycemia was not reduced in patients using CGM for <30 d.

Conclusions: CGM is still rarely used in Germany and Austria. CGM use is associated with a significant reduction of HbA1c in adults but not in children. Hypoglycemic events were not reduced, irrespective of age.