FRIDAY, March 21, 2025 (HealthDay News) -- For individuals with type 1 diabetes, low-glucose alerts improve the time below range for drivers and reduce the incidence of low glucose while driving, according to a study published in the April issue of _Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice_.
Ryutaro Maeda, from Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan, and colleagues examined the effectiveness of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) with low-glucose alerts for preventing hypoglycemia in insulin-treated drivers with diabetes in a single-center, open-label, randomized crossover study. Thirty insulin-treated participants with diabetes who drove cars at least three times per week were enrolled and underwent two four-week periods: an alert period using CGM with active low-glucose alerts and a no-alert period using blinded CGM without low-glucose alerts.
Twenty-seven participants completed the analysis. The researchers found that among all participants, the time below range (<3.9 mmol/L) did not differ between the alert and no-alert periods, but among participants with type 1 diabetes, the time below range decreased significantly during the alert period (treatment difference, −4.4). Compared with the no-alert period, the incidence of low-glucose when driving was significantly lower during the alert period (19 versus 33 percent).
"CGM with low-glucose alerts has shown potential to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia for insulin-treated drivers," the authors write. "These systems are expected to make driving safer for people with diabetes."
Several authors disclosed ties to Abbott Diabetes Care, which funded the study.
[Abstract/Full Text](https://www.diabetesresearchclinicalpractice.com/article/S0168-8227(25)00088-9/fulltext)