Continuous Glucose Monitoring Initiation Within First Year of Type 1 Diabetes Diagnosis Is Associated With Improved Glycemic Outcomes: 7-Year Follow-Up Study

OBJECTIVE To evaluate long-term glycemic outcomes of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) initiation within the first year of type 1 diabetes diagnosis. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Patients with type 1 diabetes (N = 396) were divided into three groups: 1) CGM (CGM use within 1 year of diabetes diagnosis and continued through the study), 2) no-CGM (no CGM use throughout the study), and 3) new-CGM (CGM use after 3 years since diabetes diagnosis). Patients were followed up to 7 years. RESULTS A1c was significantly lower in the CGM compared with the no-CGM group throughout 7 years of follow-up (least squares mean A1c values: 6 months, 7.3% vs. 8.1%; 1 year, 7.4% vs. 8.6%; 2 years, 7.7% vs. 9.1%; 3 years, 7.6% vs. 9.3%; 4 years, 7.4% vs. 9.6%; 5 years, 7.6% vs. 9.7%; 6 years, 7.5% vs. 10.0%; and 7 years, 7.6% vs. 9.8%; for all, P < 0.001) adjusting for age at diagnosis, sex, and insulin delivery method. CONCLUSIONS CGM initiation within first year of type 1 diabetes diagnosis results in long-term improvement in A1c.