![]() ![]() Now, she can simply scan the sensor with her smartphone* anytime† to get a glucose reading, eliminating the need for painful finger pricking ¥.Today, Sophia says, “I don’t feel nervous or shy about scanning to check my glucose levels in public and overall, I’m feeling more mentally healthy as well.”Īccording to a global study conducted by Abbott in 2020, a diabetes diagnosis in the family can also cause distress and anxiety for the parents. Recently, Sophia switched to Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 2 flash glucose monitoring system §which offers real-time glucose readings through a sensor worn on the back of her upper arm. ![]() Sophia recently switched to Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre 2 flash glucose monitoring system§which offers real-time glucose readings through a sensor worn on the back of her upper arm. And Sophia is not alone, studies show that teenagers do not want to test their glucose levels at school and often struggle with effective management. As a child, she withdrew from others to avoid being judged, significantly impacting her mental health. For Sophia, having to prick her finger in front of others at school led her to develop social anxiety. Studies have shown that these stressors impact glucose management, up to 8 out of 10 children and teenagers struggle with frequent glucose monitoring and fail to meet their targeted glucose levels. The social and emotional effects of living with type 1 diabetes are very real, and can lead individuals to experience burnout, depression and anxiety. In general, young people living with diabetes struggle with glucose management. For many, this means they use the traditional finger prick testing method, which is not only inconvenient, but also painful. Diagnosed with type 1 diabetes after her third birthday, Sophia has spent most of her life managing this chronic condition.įor people living with diabetes, measuring and tracking glucose levels is critical to manage their condition effectively and to avoid serious health complications such as heart disease and kidney damage. Thus, patients can wear it for 10–14 days with minimal disturbance of their activities of daily living.Sophia, 18, is one of 520,000 British Columbians living with diabetes. The sensor is small and discreet, measuring approximately the size of a quarter. Appropriate therapeutic changes can then be made over the phone or through the electronic medical record/patient portal. Fourteen days after placement at a provider’s office, patients can remove the sensor and send it back to the health care provider. The Freestyle Libre Pro can be an effective tool to coordinate care in virtually any health care setting. Freestyle Libre allows valuable glucose data to be collected even if patients are inconsistent with their blood glucose monitoring. The sensor does not need to be calibrated with blood glucose meter readings to maintain accuracy. Dexcom and Medtronic CGM systems give falsely high glucose readings when a patient takes acetaminophen ( 2). ![]() The Freestyle Libre is also the only CGM system on the market with no acetaminophen interference. The time from a patient’s decision to wear a CGM device to the first delivery can often take months with other CGM systems. Unlike other CGMs on the market, Libre will not need authorizations through specialty distributers. The Freestyle Libre is available to patients through retail pharmacies. The downloading and reporting software, LibreView, is also free to the clinic. The handheld device for reading the sensor stays with the health care professional and is used for all patients. There are no reusable parts that must be sanitized between patients. Only disposable portions of the system are sent home with patients. For the Pro version, the initial cost to the clinic is minimal. The Freestyle Libre has several potential advantages. ![]()
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