Importance of continuous glucose monitoring in the treatment of diabetes mellitus

Background: Emerging evidence suggests that controlling both glycemic variability and hemoglobin A1c is necessary to prevent complications associated with diabetes mellitus. Hence, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is crucial for effectively managing diabetes.Current Concepts: There are two primary types of CGM. Retrospective CGM only allows the reviewal of glycemic data after the monitoring period, whereas personal CGM allows real-time monitoring. Personal CGM can be further categorized into real-time CGM and intermittently scanned CGM. To interpret CGM data, time in range (TIR) is considered the standard parameter. A TIR of 70–180 mg/dL for more than 70% of the period has been established as a typical target for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Other parameters such as time below range, time above range, coefficient of variation, and glucose management indicator should also be reviewed. Importantly, numerous clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of CGM in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.Discussion and Conclusion: A wealth of clinical evidence supports the application of CGM in diabetes, confirming its effectiveness across various treatment stages. CGM has emerged as a compelling therapeutic option in instances when other treatment choices remain limited. With a growing body of clinical evidence, the widespread adoption of CGM in diabetes management appears inevitable. However, challenges related to user comfort, cost, the need for extensive data interpretation, and necessary system improvements remain unaddressed. Further research is required to validate the appropriate usage and frequency of CGM through costeffectiveness analyses.