Maidenhead, October 3, 2023 – Abbott today announced new data from a real-world evidence study in Sweden showing that the use of the FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM) is associated with significant reductions in HbA1c (average glucose levels over a three-month period), as well as a lower rate of hospitalisation for people living with Type 2 diabetes on both multiple daily injection (MDI) and once-daily (basal) insulin therapy.1 These findings were presented at the 59th Annual European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting held in Hamburg on October 3.
Continuous glucose monitoring is widely recognised as standard of care technology for people living with Type 1 diabetes,2 and there is a growing consensus in support of CGM use for people with Type 2 diabetes. This comparative study of the Swedish National Diabetes Register provides further evidence that CGM technology can be effective in helping people with Type 2 diabetes better manage their condition. In the absence of appropriate monitoring and care, uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes can lead to serious complications affecting the heart, blood vessels, eyes, kidneys and nervous system.
According to the Swedish national study, 2,876 people who were receiving multiple daily insulin injections saw a 0.34% reduction in HbA1c when using the FreeStyle Libre system compared to people using traditional blood glucose monitoring (BGM), and 2,292 people on basal-only insulin saw a 0.32% reduction in HbA1c when using the FreeStyle Libre system, with or without other glucose-lowering drugs. All results were maintained at 24 months. The study also showed a significant 49% reduction in hospitalisations for severe hypoglycaemia for those on multiple daily insulin injection therapy compared to traditional blood glucose monitoring (BGM).
"The results of this real-world study add to the weight of evidence demonstrating the benefits of the FreeStyle Libre system in reducing HbA1c, serious diabetes-related events and hospitalisations among people with Type 2 diabetes," says Dr. David Nathanson, associate professor at the Karolinska University Hospital Huddinge, Karolinska Institute in Sweden. "It is particularly encouraging that the HbA1c reductions were consistent across those who were receiving multiple daily injections and those on basal-only insulin, demonstrating its benefit in a wide variety of diabetes patients."
The results reinforce similar findings from the Real World Evidence of FreeStyle Libre (RELIEF) study published in the Journal of Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics and presented at last year’s EASD meeting. The retrospective study of the French national health claims database showed the use of the FreeStyle Libre system significantly reduced the rate of hospitalisations due to acute diabetes events for people living with Type 2 diabetes on once-daily insulin therapy.3
Following the RELIEF study, the FreeStyle Libre 2 system has since become the first and only continuous glucose monitoring system to be nationally reimbursed in France for people who use once-daily insulin.4 FreeStyle Libre 2 was previously covered only for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes who require intensive insulin therapy. The expanded reimbursement follows similar reimbursement coverage expansions for its technology in Japan and the U.S., which together represents 3 million more people living with diabetes who are now eligible to use FreeStyle Libre technology to manage their condition.5
"The compelling body of evidence demonstrates what we already know - that FreeStyle Libre technology is making a significant difference for people living with diabetes. It empowers people with actionable insights so they can make informed decisions about food, medicine and behaviours that affect glucose levels," said Neil Harris, general manager for Abbott’s diabetes care business in the UK and Ireland. "Recent decisions from health authorities in other countries to expand reimbursement of glucose sensors like the FreeStyle Libre system to people with Type 2 diabetes on basal-only insulin therapy are an important step forward. We are committed to broadening access to sensing technology for the millions of people with diabetes that could benefit from it."
The following abstracts are also being presented at EASD this week:
A retrospective controlled study shows that people in Sweden with Type 1 diabetes had significant reductions in HbA1c after using the FreeStyle Libre system over a 24-month period, which indicates the sustained effectiveness of FreeStyle Libre over a substantial period of time. A reduction of HbA1c of 0.30% was observed at 6 months, 0.25% at 12 months and 0.24% at 24 months compared to people using traditional blood glucose monitoring (BGM).6
New glucose metric and HbA1C have similar associations with diabetes complication progression
In this study, which was funded by Abbott, the reanalysis of the landmark Diabetes Control Complication Trial (DCCT) shows that when comparing the HbA1C and Glucose Management Indicator (GMI) levels of patients who have diabetic retinopathy, there was a high similarity between HbA1c and GMI for the progression of retinopathy.7 This finding suggests that new metrics like GMI can be an additional source of information that doctors can use when evaluating and treating their patients.
About FreeStyle Libre:
The FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring system includes a sensor, which is applied to the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days, paired with a reader or compatible smartphone app8 that displays glucose readings. The FreeStyle Libre system is the most widely used CGM system worldwide9 helping more than five million people living across more than 60 countries to easily monitor their glucose levels.5
About the Sweden Type 2 diabetes study:
The real-world evidence study assessing the impact of the FreeStyle Libre system for adults with Type 2 diabetes on insulin therapy in Sweden was funded by Abbott, and conducted using the Swedish National Diabetes Register (NDR) and the Swedish Prescribed Drug Register (SPDR), containing individualised data on prescribed drugs, and the Swedish National Patient Register (NPR) of hospital admissions.
The goal of the study was to assess the impact of using the FreeStyle Libre system compared to blood glucose monitoring on changes in HbA1c from baseline for adults with Type 2 diabetes, as well as the rates of hospital admission for hypoglycaemia and overall hospitalisation for any reason.
This study looked at data collected from Swedish people with Type 2 diabetes on multiple daily insulin injections or on basal insulin ± other glucose-lowering drugs receiving a first reimbursement of FreeStyle Libre between June 30, 2017, and August 22, 2022. A total number of 2,876 adults with Type 2 diabetes on MDI therapy and 2,292 adults with Type 2 diabetes on basal-only therapy matched with 33,584 and 43,424 BGM controls respectively.
About Abbott
Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritional and branded generic medicines. Our 115,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.
Connect with us at www.abbott.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/abbott-/, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Abbott and on Twitter @AbbottNews.
Abbott Media:
Anita de Groot, +31 (0)6 53934860
References
1 Nathanson D, Eeg-Olofsson K, Spelman T, et al. Intermittently-scanned CGM is associated with lower HbA1c and reduced hospital admissions for adults with T2DM on insulin therapy in Sweden: a retrospective controlled study. Presented at EASD, 2 - 6 October 2023, Hamburg, Germany.
2 Friedman JG, Cardona Matos Z, Szmuilowicz ED, Aleppo G. Use of Continuous Glucose Monitors to Manage Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: Progress, Challenges, and Recommendations. Pharmgenomics Pers Med. 2023 Mar 31;16:263-276
3 Guerci B, Roussel R, Levrat-Guillen F, Detournay B, Vicaut E, De Pouvourville G, Emery C, Riveline JP. Important Decrease in Hospitalizations for Acute Diabetes Events Following FreeStyle Libre System Initiation in People with Type 2 Diabetes on Basal Insulin Therapy in France. Diabetes Technol Ther. 2023 Jan;25(1):20-30.
4 Reimbursement for people with Type 1, Type 2 MDI (more than 3 injections) and pump, Type 2 diabetes (ages 4 and above) on non-intensive insulin treatment (< 3 insulin injections per day) with insufficient glycemic control (HbA1c ≥ 8%).
5 Data on file. Abbott Diabetes Care.
6 Nathanson D, Eeg-Olofsson K, Spelman T, et al. Retrospective controlled study shows intermittently-scanned CGM is associated with lower HbA1c and reduced hospitalisation for diabetes events in adults with T1DM in Sweden. Presented at EASD, 2 - 6 October 2023, Hamburg, Germany.
7 Irl B. Hirsch, Yongjin Xu, Timothy C. Dunn, et al. Blood glucose derived GMI and HbA1c have similar associations with retinopathy progression: Further analysis of the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). Presented at EASD, 2 - 6 October 2023, Hamburg, Germany.
8 The app is only compatible with certain mobile devices and operating systems. Please check the website for more information about device compatibility before using the app.
9 Data based on the number of users worldwide for FreeStyle Libre family of personal CGMs compared to the number of users for other leading personal CGM brands and based on CGM sales dollars compared to other leading personal CGM brands. Data on file. Abbott Diabetes Care.
Please be aware that the website you have requested is intended for the residents of a particular country or region, as noted on that site. As a result, the site may contain information on pharmaceuticals, medical devices and other products or uses of those products that are not approved in other countries or regions.
The website you have requested also may not be optimized for your specific screen size.
FOLLOW ABBOTT