Understanding temporal changes and seasonal variations in glycemic trends using wearable data

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Metabolic Diseases
• Public Health

Background:

• Diabetes prevalence is rising globally.
• Seasonal impacts on glycemic control are understudied.
• Understanding temporal glycemic trends is crucial for diabetes management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate seasonal variations in glycemic trends.
• To analyze blood glucose data from a diverse patient cohort.
• To identify periods of worsened glycemic control.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of over 91,000 days of continuous glucose monitor (CGM) data.
• Inclusion of 137 patients (ages 2-76, primarily type 1 diabetes).
• Data collection spanning 9 months to 4.5 years per patient.

Main Results:

• Glycemic control significantly decreases during holiday periods.
• The most substantial decline in glycemic control was observed on New Year's Day.
• Worse glycemic control occurred from November to February (fall/winter), with better control from April to August (spring/summer).
• Patients with poorer baseline glycemic control (<55% time in range) showed the largest holiday decline.

Conclusions:

• Significant seasonal variations in glycemic control exist, particularly around holidays.
• Winter months (November-February) are associated with poorer glycemic outcomes.
• These findings can guide the development of targeted interventions to improve diabetes management and outcomes.