Freestyle Libre CGM Linked With Reduced Hospitalization Risk For Heart Complications in Patients With Diabetes
Abbott’s continuous glucose monitoring system is the first to show a reduction in cardiovascular complication severity.
The Freestyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system has been associated with a significant reduction in the risk of hospitalization due to heart complications in patients with diabetes, according to a release from Abbott.1 The data make the Freestyle Libre CGM the first shown to reduce cardiovascular complication severity in patients with diabetes.
Freestyle Libre CGM Linked With Reduced Hospitalization Risk For Heart Complications in Patients With Diabetes / stivog - stock.adobe.com
The results come from the REFLECT program, which included 3 studies funded by Abbot that were published between October 2024 and April 2025. The real-world retrospective studies assessed the impact of intermittently scanned CGM (isCGM) versus blood glucose monitoring (BGM) on HbA1c levels and hospitalizations in adults with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes; hospitalization rates for metabolic and vascular complications and HbA1c levels in adults with type 1 diabetes; and the risk of post-severe hypoglycemia cardiovascular complications in adults with type 1 diabetes.
READ MORE: Adult-Onset Type 1 Diabetes Increases Risk of Cardiovascular Disease
"These results are remarkable, as we see dual benefits from CGM technology in managing diabetes and its associated cardiovascular complications," David Nathanson, MD, PhD, lead author on one of the studies, said in a release.1 “This data shows that using CGMs is linked with significantly reduced hospitalizations related to heart issues, which can have a significant impact on patients, their families and the healthcare system by easing medical, emotional and financial burdens."
In the first study, investigators evaluated the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) complications following severe hypoglycemia events (SHE) in adult patients with type 1 diabetes, and compared post-SHE CVD complications for patients using isCGM and BGM.2 Data was collected from the Swedish National Diabetes Register and the Swedish National Patient Register. The study cohort included 14829 patients, of which 1313 had a prior SHE. Of those patients, 970 used isCGM and 343 used BGM.
The study found patients with a prior SHE had a rate of 7.58 hospitalizations per 100 person-years of follow-up, compared to 5.04 for patients with no prior SHE. Patients using isCGM had significantly lower hospitalizations for post-SHE CVD complications compared to those using BGM, with a total relative reduction of 78%.
In the second study, investigators assessed the impact of initiating isCGM compared with BGM on HbA1c levels and hospitalizations for diabetes-related complications in adult patients with insulin-treated type 2 diabetes.3 Data was collected from the Swedish National Patient Register. The study cohort included 5168 patients, of which 2876 were on multiple daily insulin injections and 2292 were on basal insulin, who were matched with 33,584 and 43,424 BGM control patients, respectively.
The study found that patients using isCGM had a significantly lower relative risk of hospital admission for severe hypoglycemia, stroke, acute non-fatal myocardial infarction, or any reason compared to patients using BGM in the multiple daily injection cohort. In the basal insulin cohort, patients using isCGM had a lower relative risk of hospital admission for heart failure or any reason.
"I regularly treat people with diabetes who have problems with their blood vessels, resulting in heart attacks, strokes and amputations," Ramzi Ajjan, MD, professor of Metabolic Medicine at University of Leeds, said in a release.1 "These blood vessel problems, known collectively as cardiovascular disease, remain the main causes of ill health and death in people with diabetes. I am very excited to see data that show significant reduction in cardiovascular disease-related hospital admissions.”
READ MORE: Diabetes Resource Center
Ready to impress your pharmacy colleagues with the latest drug information, industry trends, and patient care tips? Sign up today for our free Drug Topics newsletter.
