A research team led by Professors Jaehyun Kim and Jiyoon Kim from the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism at Samsung Medical Center, along with Dr. Seohyun Kim of the Samsung Biomedical Institute for Convergence, analyzed blood sugar control in patients with type 1 diabetes. They found that real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices are superior to intermittent scanning devices. The study was recently published in DMJ, the official journal of the Korean Diabetes Association.
The research team analyzed data from 7,786 patients with type 1 diabetes, including 1,911 children and adolescents, who used continuous glucose monitoring devices based on records from the Korean National Health Insurance between 2019 and 2022. The glycated hemoglobin levels of patients using real-time devices (Dexcom G5/G6, Medtronic Guardian 3) decreased from 8.9% to 7.1% over three months, while those using scan-type devices (Freestyle Libre 1) saw a reduction from 8.6% to 7.5%. Real-time device users consistently maintained lower blood sugar levels throughout the 24-month tracking period. In particular, pediatric and adolescent patients using real-time devices showed a significant improvement in glycated hemoglobin levels, dropping from 10.1% to 7.2%, although the effect tended to diminish somewhat over time.
The research team emphasized that, alongside device use, systematic education and home medical programs are essential for long-term management. Professor Jaehyun Kim stated, “Institutional expansion is necessary to ensure that more patients can benefit.”