The prevalence of diabetes is gradually increasing, with more than 77 million people aged more than suffering from type 2 diabetes and about 25 million being prediabetics in India. Living with diabetes presents a lot of challenges in daily life, from monitoring blood glucose levels and adjusting insulin to maintaining a balanced lifestyle.

However, with the advent of modern diabetes management technologies, managing diabetes has become relatively easier. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) and insulin pumps have come across as transformative technological breakthroughs that provide people with a hassle-free pathway to improved health and quality of life. 

Let’s dive into the article to explore what CGM and insulin pumps are, how they work, and what benefits they can offer for diabetes management.

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM): An Overview

Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is a wearable device designed to help people manage their diabetes with fewer fingerstick checks. With this technology, a person can measure his blood glucose (sugar) levels in real-time throughout the day and night. All an individual needs to do is place a CGM device on their bodies to check their blood sugar easily. 

It provides continuous readings of glucose levels in the interstitial fluid. The ability to continuously track glucose levels helps people make informed decisions about their diet, exercise, and insulin doses.

How Does CGM Work?

A CGM system is designed using three main components- a sensor, transmitter, and monitor. Here’s how a CGM device works:

• Sensor: Are you considering using a cgm device? Your first step will be to insert a small sensor just under your skin, typically on your abdomen or arm. A thin tube, also called a cannula, will pierce your skin’s top layer and measure glucose levels in the interstitial fluid, which surrounds the cells in your body and provides reading similar to blood glucose. Also, make sure to replace the sensor within 10 to 14 days.
• Transmitter: The sensor is connected to a transmitter, which wirelessly sends the glucose readings to a monitor or receiver, which can also be your smartphone.
• Receiver or Monitor: The receiver or monitor displays your glucose data, allowing you to view your glucose readings and patterns in real time. Moreover, your CGM device can store and send your glucose data to your healthcare provider. You can also set alerts to notify you whenever your glucose levels are too high or too low.

What are the Benefits of CGM?

CGM for diabetes is found to offer many benefits than other traditional glucose monitoring techniques. A 2021 extension study was undertaken to investigate the potential long-term effects of using a CGM. During the investigation, it was discovered that CGMs can help prevent hypoglycemia, provide treatment satisfaction, promote well-being, and increase an individual’s confidence in their ability to avoid hypoglycemia-associated issues.

In addition, a study conducted in 2021 suggested that a cgm device can improve health outcomes for not only pregnant women but also their fetuses during pregnancy. 

Let’s uncover some other advantages of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) over traditional methods of blood glucose monitoring:

Real-Time Monitoring | With CGMs, diabetic patients can continuously access their glucose data, allowing them to track blood sugar fluctuations and patterns throughout the day.
Reduced Fingerstick Tests | While you might have to use fingerstick tests for calibration or confirmation, CGMs have significantly reduced the number of finger pricks that are required daily.
Glucose Trend Analysis | A CGM can track glucose levels over time, helping patients identify meals, activity, sleep, or stress-related patterns.       
Custom Alerts | You can set alerts to instantly know when your glucose levels are too high or low, reducing the risk of hypo- or hyperglycemic events.
Improved Decision-Making | By accessing real-time glucose data, you can make informed decisions about your insulin doses, food intake, and physical activity.

Insulin Pumps: An Overview 

Another popular diabetes management technology, insulin pumps, is steadily gaining traction, with over 1000 patients using them in India. Insulin pumps are small, computerised devices designed to deliver insulin continuously (basal) or quickly (bolus) throughout the day to help manage diabetes. 

With insulin pumps, you don’t have to now rely on manual insulin injections. You can correct your high blood glucose level by typing your blood glucose level or carbohydrates you ate in grams into the insulin pump. 

Knowing Types of Insulin Pumps

Are you considering using an insulin pump for better diabetes care and management? You can find two main types of insulin pumps in the market- the ones with tubing and others without tubing:

• Tethered or Tubed Pumps: As the name suggests, a tubed or tethered insulin pump is equipped with a long, thin tube connecting the pump with a cannula under your skin to inject insulin.
• Tubeless Pumps: Also known as patch pumps, tubeless insulin pumps use a flexible plastic tube called a cannula under your skin. But it doesn’t use any tubing to deliver insulin. Instead, a ‘pod,’ constituting the insulin reservoir and cannula, sits on your skin with an adhesive patch. Users can operate the insulin pump without any wire using a handheld controller.

How Do Insulin Pumps Work?

Insulin pumps are designed to mimic how your pancreas would naturally function to release insulin in your body. These pumps deliver insulin in any of two ways:

• Small and continuous insulin doses, also called basal insulin
• Manual insulin surges when eating and to balance your high blood sugar, also called bolus insulin. 

So, how do insulin pumps administer insulin into a diabetic person’s body? These pumps operate using three main components:

• Pump: The insulin pump contains a small insulin reservoir and a computer that will allow you to program basal rates and bolus doses.
• Infusion Set: Users need to insert a small plastic tube, called a cannula, under their skin via a needle to infuse insulin into fatty tissue. You need to change your infusion set every 2 to 3 days to prevent infection.
• Controller: The pump is also equipped with a controller, allowing users to program their insulin needs manually or in response to data from a CGM.

What are the Benefits of Insulin Pumps?

Insulin pumps offer several advantages for people managing diabetes:

Little to No Need for Injections | When using an insulin pump, you only need to insert the infusion set every few days, rather than administering multiple injections daily.
Improved Flexibility | Insulin pumps provide more precise control over your insulin delivery, allowing you to adjust the doses based on your specific needs and lifestyle.
Better Blood Sugar Control | Pumps can deliver more accurate and consistent doses of insulin, providing better blood sugar control and reduced glucose variability.
Integration with CGM | Some insulin pumps can be integrated with a CGM to automatically adjust insulin delivery based on glucose levels. It further reduces the need for manual intervention, lowering the risk of complications.
Convenience | Insulin pumps allow for easier insulin management when having meals, exercising, and sleeping. Also, when your blood sugar level spikes, you don’t need a full insulin injection. Instead, insulin pumps can deliver insulin in small doses.
Customisation | You can tailor the basal rates or bolus doses to your needs, optimising glucose control based on your daily activities, stress levels, and other factors.

Final say!

The evolution of diabetes management technologies over the past decade, particularly CGMs and insulin pumps, has significantly optimised how diabetic patients manage their condition. Leveraging CGMs or insulin pumps can provide you with real-time insights into your glucose levels and patterns and enable the delivery of precise and continuous insulin, helping you maintain optimal glucose levels.

Considering using CGMs or insulin pumps for hassle-free diabetes care and management? Seek guidance from our endocrinology diabetology doctors!