Ol' Blue Eyes was way ahead of the curve in diabetes treatment - I nominate his 1956 hit, "I've Got You Under My Skin" for the official anthem for type 1 diabetes patients.

A study published online in the New England Journal of Medicine Sept. 8 details a new continuous glucose monitor device placed - you guessed it - under the skin.

The Skinny on CGM

The authors, from the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, randomly assigned 322 adults and children with intensively treated type 1 diabetes to CGM or normal blood glucose meter. Primary outcome was change in glycated hemoglobin at 26 weeks. (HbA1c is a standard measure of blood sugar control.)

For the uninitiated, CGM involves a subcutaneous disposable blood glucose monitor that measures blood glucose every few minutes, then transmits measurements to an external sensor (like a pager, in a way). The monitor needs to be replaced every three to seven days, depending on the device.

Patients were grouped by age: 8-14 years, 15-24 years, and greater than 25 years old. Those older than 25 had a significant change from baseline in HbA1c levels (p<0.001) compared with control, but the remaining two groups did not see any significant difference.

The oldest group had tighter glycemic control at the end of the 26 weeks, likely due to adherence to the CGM and diabetes management, the authors said. The CGM should become a normal tool in the arsenal for managing type 1 diabetes, according to one of the authors. The results weren't entirely unexpected, as adolescents often struggle with monitoring and managing diabetes.

The results have boosted hope for insurance reimbursement, as the devices can cost upwards of $1,000, a Bloomberg article says.

Let them eat cake

I wonder if RFID companies are following this? Diabetic person eats a slice of chocolate cake, sensor goes off in some underground RFID bunker, diabetic gets zapped. Or, diabetic eats healthy helping of fruits and veggies, gets warm fuzzy sent via RFID. Could be the wave of the future.