Choosing the Right Constant Glucose Monitoring Device for You

Lately it may seem as though traditional glucometers are going out of style. The trend seems to be moving towards constant glucose monitoring devices which are placed on the patient's body in order to monitor blood glucose levels at a rate of about every 5 minutes (constantly). These devices usually consist of a sensor placed on the patient's body and a "cell phone-like" device that displays the patient's blood sugar. At the moment there seems to be three main companies who are creating these devices: Dexcom, Medtronic, and Abbott. Here I will analyze the differences between the three and the benefits or disadvantages of constant glucose monitoring (CGM) devices in general.
Each glucose monitoring device includes directional arrows which demonstrate if the patient's blood sugar is trending upwards or downwards, alarms that can be set to signify high and low blood sugars, graphs that show a patient's blood sugar over a specific amount of days, and a software program that allows patient's to view their trends on a computer. All devices are water proof and claim virtually painless insertion.
Dexcom's device is called the SEVEN Plus. This device is beneficial because it includes a sensor that has been approved to be worn for 7 days whereas the other two companies have only been approved to be worn for 3-5 days. The SEVEN Plus also claims to be the smallest and lightest sensor transmitter, therefore creating less discomfort as it is less apparent on the patient's body. The final advantage and difference of Dexcom's device is its ability to allow the patient to enter daily activities or "notes" for times that will correspond with the blood sugar readings in order for the patient and care taker to understand how specific activities may influence blood sugars.

Medtronic's device, the Guardian REAL-time, is different because of its third layer of protection known as "predictive alerts". These alarms can be set to alert the patient 10-30minutes BEFORE a low or high blood sugar is reached. For example, if the patient has set an alarm to go off to tell them of their low blood sugar when their blood sugar reaches 60, the device can detect that blood sugar will decrease to 60 in about 30 minutes and an alarm will be set off. The device also has "skins" or covers that can customize one's monitor.
Abbott's device is known as the FreeStyle Navigator. This device is unique because as opposed to the other two devices which provide a blood sugar reading for every 5 minutes, it is the only device to provide a reading every single minute. Also, it only needs to be calibrated by a finger stick about 4 times over a 5 day period, whereas the other devices ask for 2 calibrations a day. Finally, the FreeStyle Navigator has the largest sensor-monitor range, allowing 10 feet of distance between the patient and the monitor.
A survey conducted by Abbott regarding their FreeStyle Navigator shows that on average, patients viewed these constant glucose monitoring devices as very promising. These devices can be especially beneficial for the elderly. By diminishing the need for finger sticks, the elderly can prevent their fingers from loosing feeling due to constant finger pricking. In addition, the loud alarms can help elderly we have lost some cognitive activity and are less able to recognize high and low blood sugars on their own. The devices have so many safety features that attempt to prevent or eliminate high and low blood sugars that can be detrimental to the elderly's health and safety.
Although there are many benefits, however, it is also important to remember that GCM's might not be for everyone.  As a teenager, I tried Dexcom's SEVEN-Plus and did not feel as though it was right for me. The accuracy of my blood sugars was not very good since there seemed to be a malfunction with the way the sensor was inserted and water ended up making the blood sugars displayed on my monitor as incorrect. Moreover, it was hard for me to get used to having a device on my body which was slightly apparent through clothing and was noticeable anytime I was in a bathing suit. However, in the future I do plan to try out other models and try the SEVEN-Plus again (when it is not malfunctioning) in order to give CGM's a second chance. I highly recommend that all diabetics (ESPECIALLY the elderly) try these devices and see which one is right for them.

References:
http://www.dexcom.com/products/seven_difference
http://www.minimed.com/products/guardian/features.html
http://www.FreeStyleNavigator.com/ab_nav/url/content/en_US/10:10/general_content/General_Content_0000013.htm