Continuous glucose monitoring gains strong evidence for type 2 diabetes, but access remains uneven in Italy
New research presented at the EASD Congress shows continuous glucose monitoring improves survival and cardiovascular outcomes for insulin-treated type 2 diabetes, while Italian guidelines now endorse its use despite regional reimbursement gaps.
During the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Milan, Abbott emphasized that continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is increasingly supported by both randomized trials and everyday clinical data. A U.S. real-world analysis of thousands of adults on basal insulin found that CGM users experienced significantly lower death rates at one and two years, as well as fewer cardiovascular events. Complementary evidence from the UK FreeDM2 trial demonstrated that Abbott Libre users achieved better HbA1c reductions, spent more hours within the optimal glucose range, and made more informed daily decisions.
An Italian cohort of patients using Libre reported similar improvements in glycaemic metrics and quality of life after three months. Consequently, the Italian Society of Diabetology and the Association of Diabetology Physicians have issued strong recommendations for CGM in basal-insulin therapy, yet reimbursement criteria still differ by region, limiting uniform access. Patient advocates call for nationwide policy alignment to ensure all eligible individuals can benefit from the technology.
