NNUH diabetes research published in top journal
Intermittently scanned glucose monitoring technology significantly improves the management of Type 1 diabetes, according to research conducted in Norfolk and published in a prestigious health research journal.
The findings of a study conducted at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital and seven other Trusts across the country has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which makes the case for more patients to have access to continuous blood glucose monitoring technology.
A total of 156 participants took part in the Flash UK trial, which was funded by Diabetes UK, with half monitoring their own blood glucose levels with finger prick testing and half using intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring over a six-month period.
Continuous glucose monitoring devices are designed to largely replace the recommended four to 10 painful finger prick tests required each day for the self-management of Type 1 diabetes and have optional alarms when glucose levels become low and high.
Dr Sankalpa Neupane, Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology at NNUH and Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of East Anglia, who was Principal Investigator of the trial in Norfolk, said the research showed the effectiveness and value of glucose monitoring devices.
“The results of this study have shown a significant improvement in diabetes control using this technology and it is fantastic to have strong scientific evidence and evaluation to show the benefit of intermittent glucose monitoring. We are hoping this will be standard care nationally and internationally in the future.”
“These are in NICE guidelines but are currently not universal for everyone and some people have been self-funding their glucose monitors for years. Now we have scientific data, there should be no debate on the impact this has for people with Type 1 diabetes,” he said.
The published results of the trial found that the use of intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring with optional alarms for high and low blood glucose levels resulted in significantly better management of blood glucose levels with the decreased risk of developing diabetes-related complications.
Dr Neupane added: “This is a proud moment to have our research published in the top medical journal. This is the first randomised control trial in the world studying Flash glucose monitor in Type 1 diabetes with suboptimal diabetes control.”
For more information, visit the New England Journal of Medicine article https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2205650