What is continuous monitoring?

Diabetes is a growing epidemic that despite all our knowledge and ability to completely prevent type 2 exponentially multiplies daily.

However type 1 diabetes is not preventable and usually occurs in children/young adults. Type 1 diabetics are insulin dependent and one of the things they need to know on a continuous basis is what their sugar is. Up to now this has been done by finger prick (ow!) 4-8 times a day!!!

What a great joy to know that going forward we have more humane, less painful, more accurate ways to continuously monitor the sugar. There are currently devices being launched in south africa in aid of this. The patient has a device inserted once every 3 days which then “talks” to device with a screen and projects the sugar onto the screen with a continous graph. What this enables the patient to do is to spot the trend – i.e. down or up and do something about the trend BEFORE manifesting as a high or a low.

It is imperative for type 1’s to run between about 4 and 8 mmol/l of glucose at any time. Lows can kill. Highs over a long period of time cause damage to the whole body. From eyes, heart, kidneys to limbs etc.

Continous monitoring is a huge leap in transforming CONTROL for diabetics. Better control = better quality of life, less complications and greater longevity.

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