What Technology Can Do for Type 1 Diabetes Management

Real-time continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is now recognized as standard of care by major diabetes organizations, including the American Diabetes Association, American College of Endocrinologists, and the Endocrine Society. Clinical studies have consistently shown that CGM use helps people improve their blood sugar control.

In the DIAMOND study, people with Type 1 diabetes using a Dexcom CGM on insulin injections saw their average A1C drop by 1% after 24 weeks of regular use. Those who started with an A1C of 8.5% or higher showed even greater improvement. Beyond A1C, CGM use is associated with more time spent in healthy blood sugar range and a significant reduction in severe hypoglycemia and nighttime lows—benefits that hold true whether someone uses an insulin pump or injections.

Automated insulin delivery (AID) systems—sometimes called artificial pancreas systems—take blood sugar management a step further. A recent study comparing the tubeless Omnipod 5 system to pump therapy with a CGM found that people using the automated system spent significantly more time in target blood sugar range: a difference of 4.2 hours per day, or about 17.5 percentage points.

Over a 13-week period, the automated system group also spent considerably less time above target range compared to the pump-plus-CGM group (37.6% versus 54.5%). Importantly, no one in the automated system group experienced severe hypoglycemia or diabetic ketoacidosis, and all primary safety measures were met.

Results from a Canadian clinic supporting open-source artificial pancreas systems tell a similar story. Among 248 people followed for 17 months, time in range rose from 64% to 80%, and A1C fell from 7.2% to 6.7%. With in-clinic support and no cost to patients for software and technology, this approach also showed excellent safety: only 3 episodes of severe hypoglycemia and zero cases of diabetic ketoacidosis.

One emerging feature in diabetes technology is extended glucose prediction—the ability to forecast blood sugar levels 30 minutes ahead, up to 2 hours ahead, or overnight. While these predictions are not yet widely available, research suggests they could have real emotional benefits.

In a survey of 206 people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, participants were asked to imagine using these predictive features. They expected moderate improvements in both fear of hypoglycemia and overall diabetes distress. This suggests that knowing where glucose levels are headed, rather than just where they are now, could help reduce the anxiety and burden many people with diabetes experience.

As CGM technology evolves, accuracy matters. Researchers compared three generations of Dexcom systems (G5, G6, and G7) using accuracy metrics from clinical trials. The seventh-generation G7 showed strong performance: when placed on the abdomen, it had a mean accuracy error of 9.1% and agreed with lab reference values 93.2% of the time. When placed on the arm, accuracy improved further, with an 8.2% error rate and 95.3% agreement.

Beyond the numbers, the G7 was also easier to use than earlier systems based on formal task analysis. Favorable clinical outcomes like A1C reduction and hypoglycemia avoidance seen with earlier systems are anticipated with G7 use.

Research into Type 1 diabetes management continues to advance. Currently, a clinical trial is testing whether tirzepatide—a medication already approved for Type 2 diabetes—might help adults with Type 1 diabetes by potentially reducing insulin needs and smoothing after-meal blood sugar rises, which could make carbohydrate counting less critical. The study involves 105 adults at centers in Canada and Switzerland.

While these advances are promising, they represent active research areas, not yet available options for most people. Talk with your diabetes care team about which technologies and approaches might be right for your individual situation.

Origin: YouTube / Dexcom (Video report). Evidence: Video report, corroborated with 6 indexed studies. Type1Cure is an information and intelligence hub, not a medical advice service. This article summarizes published research and does not provide diagnosis, treatment, or personal medical guidance. Always talk to your own care team before changing anything about your Type 1 diabetes management.