Efficacy of intermittent short‐term use of a real‐time continuous glucose monitoring system in non‐insulin–treated patients with type 2 diabetes: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract Aim To evaluate the efficacy of intermittent short‐term use of a real‐time continuous glucose monitoring (RT‐CGM) system in non‐insulin–treated patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) uncontrolled with oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs). Materials and Methods In this multicentre, randomized prospective study, 61 participants were randomly assigned to treatment group 1 (one session of RT‐CGM), treatment group 2 (two sessions of RT‐CGM with a 3‐month interval between sessions) and a control group. All participants used blinded continuous glucose monitoring for up to 6 days with education before randomization, and RT‐CGM was additionally applied for 1 week in the intervention groups. The primary outcome was change in HbA1c at 6 months. Results Among 61 participants, 48 subjects completed the study (baseline HbA1c 8.2% ± 0.5%). At 3 months, a significant HbA1c reduction was observed in treatment group 1 (adjusted difference = −0.60%, P = .044) and treatment group 2 (adjusted difference = −0.64%, P = .014) compared with the control group. However, at 6 months, only treatment group 2 achieved a significant HbA1c reduction (adjusted difference = −0.68%, P = .018). Especially in the treatment groups, patients performing self‐monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) at least 1.5 times/day showed a significant HbA1c improvement, at both 3 and 6 months, but those performing SMBG less than 1.5 times/day showed no significant improvement. Conclusions In non‐insulin–treated patients with T2D uncontrolled with OADs, intermittent short‐term use of RT‐CGM was an effective method for glucose control, especially in those performing SMBG frequently.