Premium
Non‐invasive blood glucose testing: the horizon
Author(s) -
Chaplin Steve
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
practical diabetes
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.205
H-Index - 24
eISSN - 2047-2900
pISSN - 2047-2897
DOI - 10.1002/pdi.2062
Subject(s) - medicine , continuous glucose monitoring , diabetes mellitus , intensive care medicine , type 1 diabetes , endocrinology
A modestly-sized watch can now be used to monitor health and fitness or locate your position anywhere on the planet to within several metres. With such technology so accessible, why do we still expect people with diabetes to prick their finger every time they need to measure their blood glucose? No-one pretends that frequent finger prick testing holds much appeal but there is surprisingly little objective evidence to show how acceptable it is.1 It has been suggested that it may not be troublesome, even to children,2 and careful technique can greatly reduce pain.3 But most people with diabetes who need to monitor their blood glucose have no reliable alternative. Their acceptance might be different if there was another way. Glucose monitoring technology has been inching forward for many years but the revolution has arrived – it’s just had a slow start. Devices for non-invasive glucose monitoring (NIGM) are already in use and many others will reach the market in the next five years. ‘New and emerging non-invasive glucose monitoring technologies’, a report from the University of Birmingham’s Horizon Scanning Research & Intelligence Centre (HSRIC),4 is therefore well timed. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices that provide real-time continuous monitoring via sensors placed under the skin are available now for some of the 23 000+ patients who use a pump (see www.diabetes. co.uk/cgm/continuous-glucosemonitoring.html). NICE recommends the MiniMed Paradigm Veo sensor-augmented pump for adults and children with type 1 diabetes who meet criteria for difficulty in controlling glucose levels and frequent severe hypoglycaemia.5–7 Unlike CGM, NIGM does not compromise the skin barrier but its appeal goes further: the devices under development offer the flexibility and adaptability that come with modern technology. They offer continuous or intermittent measurement and there is potential to measure or integrate with other parameters such as protein, lactate, BMI, exercise and diet. NIGM could significantly improve quality of life and the quality of diabetes management.