Summary
Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) provide important metrics about the health of study participants. However, CGMs may falsely read low glucose values and issue "low glucose" alerts when they are being depressed, known as "compression lows." This articles explores some of the common causes and solutions.
Details
Problem
When pressure is applied to a CGM sensor, such as when a participant sleeps on their side and lays on the sensor, the CGM may read a false low value. This is sometimes evident by a steep, sudden drop in the continuous glucose graph. This occurs because the interstitial fluids (fluids between cells) decrease when pressure is applied to that area, which causes the sensor's needle to detect less fluid and therefore less glucose.
Solution
- Participants should be made aware of the potential for compression lows and asked to avoid sleeping on the sensor. If possible - and depending on the manufacturer's recommendations - apply the sensor in a place where the participant is unlikely to lay on it.
- Clinical guidelines for managing hypoglycemia, or for when to verify an alert with a finger stick, are outside the scope of this article and are the responsibility of the study team and/or the participant's health care providers.
Notes
Resources
About the Author
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Gabriel Mongefranco is a Mobile Data Architect at the University of Michigan Eisenberg Family Depression Center. Gabriel has over a decade of experience in data analytics, dashboard design, automation, back end software development, database design, middleware and API architecture, and technical writing.
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