Older Adults Benefit From Virtual Support for Continuous Glucose Monitor Use But Require Longer Visits

Area of Science:

• Diabetes management and technology adoption.
• Geriatric medicine and endocrinology.
• Health education and behavioral science.

Background:

• Older adults may face challenges with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology adoption and require tailored support.
• The Virtual Diabetes Specialty Clinic investigated glycemic outcomes and support needs in older versus younger adults using CGM.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate glycemic outcomes and identify support needs for older adults using CGM compared to younger adults.
• To assess the impact of remote CGM education on glycemic control across different age groups.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, virtual study involving adults with type 1 or type 2 diabetes using CGM.
• Participants received remote CGM education from Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialists.
• Glycemic metrics, HbA1c, and visit duration were analyzed across age groups: <40, 40-64, and ≥65 years.

Main Results:

• Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) adherence was high (≥95%) across all age groups.
• Significant improvements in time in range (70-180 mg/dL) were observed from baseline to 6 months in all age groups, with greater improvement in the 40-64 age group compared to <40.
• While HbA1c improved across groups, no significant differences were noted between age groups. Training duration was longer for individuals aged ≥65 years.

Conclusions:

• Remote CGM training improves glycemic control in adults with diabetes across all age groups.
• Older adults (≥65 years) require longer training durations for CGM use compared to younger adults.
• Personalized, age-specific training approaches are essential for optimizing CGM use and diabetes management in older populations.