Experience of the use of a flash glucose monitoring system by hemodialysis patients

【Objective】Diabetic dialysis patients underwent continuous glucose monitoring, and their blood glucose level changes, quality of life (QOL) scores, complications, and the correlations between the results obtained via flash glucose monitoring (FGM) and self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) were investigated. 【Methods】Flash glucose monitors were attached to diabetic dialysis patients examined at our clinic, and continuous glucose monitoring was performed for 2 months. The subjects also performed SMBG, and the number of measurements; blood glucose, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and glycated albumin (GA) levels; QOL, as evaluated using a diabetes questionnaire (diabetes therapy-related QOL [DTR-QOL]); complications; and the correlations between the results obtained via FGM and SMBG were investigated. 【Results】Seven patients were enrolled (3 females, mean age: 62.4±6.0 years). The mean installation period was 53.0±5.2 days, and the mean number of scans was 7.4±2.6/day. During the study period, the mean SMBG-derived blood glucose level and mean HbA1c level decreased from 215.8±105.2 mg/dL to 212.4±96.9 mg/dL (p=0.48) and from 8.1±0.87% to 8.0±0.93% (p=0.58), respectively, and the mean DTR-QOL score and mean number of SMBG measurements increased from 35.1±19.5 to 42.1±23.0 (p=0.45) and from 3.2±1.2/day to 3.5±1.2/day (p=0.63), respectively. The mean GA level tended to decrease from 31.9±5.8% to 30.0±6.6% (p=0.05). The mean final blood glucose level obtained with FGM was 28.5 mg/dL lower than that obtained with SMBG (−13.4%, 212.4±96.9 mg/dL vs. 183.9±83.1 mg/dL, p