Continuous glucose monitoring: a stepping stone in the journey towards a cure for diabetes

Abstract

Probably the most important advance in the field of diabetes and pregnancy since the discovery of insulin in 1921 is self-monitoring of blood glucose. Within the past 30 years, home monitoring of blood glucose has introduced a more efficient means of tracking patient progress. The advent of continuous glucose monitoring has broadened the horizons for improving patient care. Barriers to intensive therapy such as standard methods of monitoring blood glucose, the risk of hypoglycemia, the limitations of present therapy and inadequate patient education must be overcome in order to improve diabetes management. This paper discusses methods of blood glucose monitoring and its aims at bringing the above mentioned barriers to a minimum in order to maintain normoglycemia, to reduce risks of diabetes-related complications and to optimize the possibility for pregnant women with diabetes of delivering healthy babies.