Diabetes Technology

There are many tools that can help make managing your diabetes easier, from monitoring your glucose levels to insulin delivery. Your healthcare provider(s) may be able to help you decide which tools are best for you.

Insulin pumps are helpful tools for people with diabetes who don’t want to use injections. Pumps deliver insulin through a continuous “basal” dose and a “bolus” dose before meals. The pump’s insulin delivery is meant to imitate the body’s release of insulin.

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) measure your blood glucose levels in real-time by measuring the glucose present in your tissue fluid approximately every 5 minutes. CGMs use alerts to let you know when your glucose levels go too high or low compared to your set threshold. CGMs consist of a sensor, which is inserted in the skin, a transmitter which is on top of the sensor, and a smartphone app or receiver which takes in the information from the transmitter.

Blood glucose meters (BGMs) measure your blood sugar levels at the moment you check it. To use a BGM, you need a test strip, a lancing device to prick your finger, and a meter to measure your blood sugar. Most meters connect to a smartphone app to help monitor your data.

Smart insulin pens are injector pens that can be reused and connected to a smartphone app. They keep track of doses and can help calculate your dose. Smart insulin pens are helpful in providing reminders, reports, or alerts to help you better manage your diabetes.

Our Favorite Four Tips:

  1. For those using insulin, decide if injections or insulin pumps are better for you.
  2. Continuous glucose monitors can be used to measure your blood glucose in real-time and are worn on the body.
  3. Blood glucose meters are used to measure your blood glucose but require finger sticks.
  4. Smart insulin pens can help you inject insulin and keep track of doses with reminders and alerts.

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