Relationship of fasting and hourly blood glucose levels to HbA1c values: safety, accuracy, and improvements in glucose profiles obtained using a 7-day continuous glucose sensor.

OBJECTIVE In this study, we evaluated the safety and efficacy of 7-day transcutaneous, real-time, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in subjects with insulin-requiring diabetes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Eighty-six subjects were enrolled at five U.S. centers. Subjects wore a sensor inserted under the skin of the abdomen for 7 days during each of three consecutive periods. Data were blinded during period 1 and unblinded during periods 2 and 3. RESULTS Of the 6,811 matched self-monitoring of blood glucose to sensor values prospectively analyzed, 97.2% fell in the Clarke error grid zones A and B, and median absolute relative difference was 11.4%. After unblinding, subjects reduced time spent at <55 mg/dl by 0.3 h/day, reduced time spent at >240 mg/dl by 1.5 h/day, and increased time in the target zone (81-140 mg/dl) by 1.4 h/day (P < 0.05 for all three comparisons). Improvements were seen in both types 1 and 2 diabetes and with use of both multiple daily injections and continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. Modal day graphs were generated in six groups of subjects based on HbA1c (A1C) (10%). Mean glucose levels from midnight to 7:00 a.m. (fasting and dawn phenomenon periods) were only normal for subjects with A1C <or=6%. All other groups were hyperglycemic during this and all periods. Reductions in overall mean glucose were achieved for the four highest A1C groupings with unblinded device use. CONCLUSIONS This is the first report of a real-time, transcutaneous glucose sensor that functioned for 7 days. The use of CGM in the unblinded phase resulted in improvements in target-range glycemia across all A1C values.