INTERPRETING YOUR cgm DATA

A continuous glucose monitor is a wonderful source of information but do you really know what you're looking at?

*Continuous Glucose Monitor

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is an important tool that can help people with diabetes to monitor and manage their blood glucose levels, particularly for those who use insulin. The additional information provided by CGM can help you make informed decisions about how to adjust insulin doses and/or lifestyle habits, which in turn can help you better manage your diabetes. However, the amount of data provided by your CGM can be overwhelming and often hard to understand. We asked DL Mag dietitian and diabetes educator Dr Kate Marsh to explain how to make sense of the information provided by your CGM and how to use this data to help you in managing your diabetes.

Understanding your current data

How you view your current data will depend on which CGM device you use. For real-time CGM devices (e.g. Dexcom G6 and Medtronic CGM devices) you can review your glucose data at any time by looking at an app on your smartphone, your compatible insulin pump or a separate receiver. If you use a flash glucose monitor (Freestyle Libre) you can review your glucose levels by scanning your sensor with your smart phone or reader.