Continuous Glucose Monitoring Use in Older Adults for Optimal Diabetes Management

More than one third of U.S. adults age >= 65 years have diabetes. According to early studies, 61% of all diabetes-related costs in the United States were for individuals age >= 65 years, and more than half of these costs attributable to treating diabetes-related complications. Numerous studies have shown that use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has been shown to improve glycemic control and reduce the incidence and severity of hypoglycemia in younger adults with type 1 diabetes and insulin-treated type 2 diabetes (T2D), and there is growing evidence demonstrating the same benefits in older T2D populations. However, because older adults with diabetes are a heterogeneous group with variable clinical, functional, and psychosocial milieu, clinicians must consider whether each patient can use CGM and, if so, the type of CGM device best addresses each patient's needs and capabilities. This article reviews the evidence supporting CGM in the older population, discusses the barriers and benefits of CGM use in older adults with diabetes, and provides recommendations for how different types of CGM systems can be used strategically to improve glycemic control, reduce hypoglycemia, decrease the burden of diabetes, and improve quality of life.