A new analysis of nine clinical trials suggests that continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) may improve treatment satisfaction for adults with type 2 diabetes compared to traditional finger-stick testing. The review included 1,453 people and looked at several patient-reported outcomes.
Researchers found that CGM users reported higher treatment satisfaction, but the results varied widely across studies. Because of this extreme variation, it is hard to say exactly how much better CGM is. For other outcomes like diabetes distress, psychological well-being, and quality of life, there were no clear differences between CGM and self-monitoring.
The findings are based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials, which is a strong type of evidence. However, the high variability in the satisfaction results means the certainty of the evidence is limited. No safety concerns were reported in the analysis.
For people with type 2 diabetes, CGM might offer a more satisfying way to track blood sugar, but its impact on emotional health and overall quality of life remains uncertain. More research is needed to clarify these effects.