Low-glucose alerts beneficial for insulin-treated drivers with diabetes

For individuals with type 1 diabetes, low-glucose alerts improve the time below range for drivers and reduce the incidence of low glucose while driving, according to a study published in the April issue of Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice.

Ryutaro Maeda, from Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, and colleagues examined the effectiveness of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with low-glucose alerts for preventing hypoglycemia in insulin-treated drivers with diabetes in a single-center, open-label, randomized crossover study. Thirty insulin-treated participants with diabetes who drove cars at least three times per week were enrolled and underwent two four-week periods: an alert period using CGM with active low-glucose alerts and a no-alert period using blinded CGM without low-glucose alerts.

Twenty-seven participants completed the analysis. The researchers found that among all participants, the time below range (<3.9 mmol/L) did not differ between the alert and no-alert periods, but among participants with type 1 diabetes, the time below range decreased significantly during the alert period (treatment difference, −4.4). Compared with the no-alert period, the incidence of low-glucose when driving was significantly lower during the alert period (19 versus 33 percent).

“CGM with low-glucose alerts has shown potential to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia for insulin-treated drivers,” the authors write. “These systems are expected to make driving safer for people with diabetes.”

Several authors disclosed ties to Abbott Diabetes Care, which funded the study.

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