Flash glucose monitoring in gestational diabetes mellitus: possibilities for assessing glycemic variability

Introduction. Blood glucose monitoring is critical in maintaining glycemic control in women with GDM and in reducing adverse maternal and fetal outcomes. One of the tools that can help achieve optimal glycemic control during pregnancy is continuous glucose monitoring, which empowers clinicians to assess the characteristics of daily glycemic variability.The aim. Compare biweekly glycemic profiles and glycemic variability in pregnant women with GDM and in healthy pregnant women using the FreeStyle Libre flash glycemic monitoring system.Materials and methods. Analysis of the glycemic profile of 49 pregnant women aged 33.2 ± 6.1 years. The average gestational age of the women included in the study was 12.6 ± 6.4 weeks. Pregnant women were divided into 2 groups: 37 pregnant women with GDM and 12 healthy pregnant women. Each group underwent two-week glucose profile monitoring using the FreeStyle Libre continuous monitoring system. Statistical analysis was carried out using Microsoft Office Excel 2016, STATISTICA 10 programs (developed by StatSoft.Inc), EasyGV, version 9.Results. The average glycemic level in the groups was 4.724 ± 0.37 mmol/L vs 4.24 ± 0.34 mmol/L, respectively (p˂0.001). Comparative analysis of GV parameters in groups of pregnant women with and without GDM: SD – 0.908 vs 0.7213 (p˂0.05); LI – 1.5 vs 0.8 (p˂0.05); HBGI – 0.503 vs 0.42 (p˂0.05); J-index – 10.343 vs 7.9870 (p˂0.001); MOOD – 0.956 vs 0.7992 (p˂0.05); MAGE – 2.326 vs 1.8042 (p˂0.05); ADDR – 2.216 vs 0.4210 (p˂0.05); MAG – 4.612 vs 2.6163 (p˂0.001), respectively. The CONGA index did not show a statistically significant difference in both groups: 3.95 vs 3.7 (p = 0.5).Conclusions. Flash-glycemic monitoring can be used to obtain more detailed information about the glycemic profile, especially when it is difficult to assess the degree of GDM compensation. Continuous glucose monitoring can facilitate the optimization of glycemic control and provide a basis for treatment decisions.