Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 2 System Improves Chronic Disease Management

In a recent press release, Abbott announced that the results from a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine show that their glucose monitoring device, the FreeStyle Libre 2 system, improved chronic disease management. The FreeStyle Libre 2 system includes a glucose sensor, usually applied in the upper arm, continuously monitoring glucose levels. The device can be monitored with the patient’s smartphone or another reading device. The sensor is replaced every two weeks.

The study recruited 146 people over 16 with type 1 diabetes. Patients had a baseline hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level of 7.5–11%. Participants were split into two groups and monitored over six months. The control group used self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG), and the experimental group used the Freestyle Libre 2 glucose monitoring system.

At the 12-week mark, patients using the Abbott system had reduced their HbA1c by 0.3%. By the end of the six months, the participants in the experimental group had reduced their HbA1c by an average of 0.5%. In comparison to the control group, this reduction was statistically significant.

The press release also notes, “FreeStyle Libre users also had a greater likelihood of reducing their HbA1c by a full percentage point by the end of the study period. They spent an additional 130 minutes per day with glucose levels in the target range (70–180 mg/dL) and 43 minutes per day less time with dangerously low glucose levels (<70 mg/dL).”

Beyond quantitative metrics, researchers also found that this device helped improve quality of life for patients. According to the press statement, study participants completed a Diabetes Treatment Satisfaction Questionnaire and Glucose Monitoring Satisfaction Survey. Compared to the SMBG group, those using the FreeStyle Libre system were more satisfied and had a reduced burden.

This can improve chronic disease management like many other remote patient monitoring devices.

"Continuous glucose monitoring has been a critical tool for people living with diabetes, both to avoid painful fingersticks and to help manage glucose levels," said study author Lalantha Leelarathna, PhD, from the University of Manchester NHS Foundation Trust, in the press release. "This data adds to the growing body of evidence that demonstrates the technology helps bring HbA1c levels closer to the target range, which ultimately decreases risks of further complications."