Previously approved only for adult patients, REAL-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) devices are now approved for children and teenagers ages 7 to 17. REAL-Time CGM helps patients monitor and better control their diabetes. This therapy is intended to reduce the duration of hypoglycemic events and lower HbA1c levels by as much as two percentage points. This is significant because as much as 60 percent of hypoglycemic events go undetected by current glucose monitoring standards, and for every one percentage point drop in HbA1c, there is a 35 percent reduction in diabetes-related complications like blindness, amputation and organ failure.
REAL-Time CGM technology displays REAL-Time glucose values, trend graphs and directional arrows, allowing patients to discover how diet, exercise, medication and lifestyle affect their glucose levels. The technology alerts patients if their glucose levels fall below — or rise above — preset values.