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Continuous glucose monitor helps people suffering from Type 1 diabetes who needs daily insulin shots manage their blood sugar levels properly and safety, researchers found.

Also dubbed as CGM, the device continuously measures a person's blood sugar levels. To do this, a thin wire sensor is inserted underneath the skin and a transmitter is worn on the top of the skin while a receiver, like a smartphone, is used to gather the information.

The researchers found that CGM improves glycemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes. The two studies, called DIAMOND and GOLD, were published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. According to Medscape, these two studies are the first ones to specifically investigate the use of CGM in type 1 diabetes patients who are not only insulin pumps.

"Few treatment options exist in the type 1 diabetes field. CGM is a treatment option that [people] should test if they have the option," Dr. Marcus Lind, lead researcher on one of the studies, said as reported by WebMD.

Type 1 Diabetes vs. Type 2 Diabetes

People with type 1 diabetes does not make enough insulin, an important hormone that transports glucose to the different cells of the body. In this disease, the body's own immune cells attacks the pancreas, specifically the beta cells that make insulin.

As a result, they need regular insulin injections or insulin delivered through a catheter inserted under the skin. Typically, a patient with the disease may need as much as five to six insulin injections per day.

On the other hand, people with type 2 diabetes are no longer able to use insulin properly, called insulin resistance. About 95 percent of diabetes cases are type 2 and sometimes, patients are prescribed with insulin injections too.

Insulin Injections

Using insulin is a very delicate task and too much or too little of it may lead to life-threatening consequences. Hence, the blood sugar levels should be monitored regularly and properly.

Thus, the new studies show how important CGM's are in the monitoring of blood sugar levels and in the management of type 1 diabetes.