EASD 2026: CGM use linked to lower mortality and hospitalisation risk in Type 2 diabetes

New real-world data to be presented at EASD 2026 suggest continuous glucose monitoring could have benefits extending beyond glycaemic management for people with Type 2 diabetes using basal insulin, with CGM use associated with lower mortality, cardiovascular complications and acute diabetes-related hospitalisations.

Two large studies being presented at the 62nd Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan have provided new evidence on outcomes associated with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in people with Type 2 diabetes.

In the first study, involving nearly 28,000 adults with Type 2 diabetes using basal insulin, CGM use – including Abbott’s Libre technology – was associated with a 45 per cent lower risk of all-cause mortality at 12 months and a 36 per cent lower risk at 24 months compared with people who did not use CGM.

Researchers also identified an association between CGM use and fewer cardiovascular-related complications, including reductions in recurrent events.

The US study used electronic health record data and a target trial emulation approach, a methodology designed to more closely mirror a randomised clinical trial when analysing real-world data.

Researchers matched approximately 14,000 CGM users with 14,000 people not using CGM across 29 baseline characteristics and carried out multiple sensitivity analyses. The majority of CGM users included in the study were using Libre technology.

According to Abbott, the findings represent the first evidence of an association between CGM use and a lower risk of death specifically among adults with Type 2 diabetes treated with basal insulin.

Professor Ramzi Ajjan, Professor of Metabolic Medicine and Consultant in Diabetes and Endocrinology at the University of Leeds and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said the findings indicate the potential benefits of CGM could extend beyond improving glycaemia.

He said: “Employing target trial emulation, the closest to a randomised controlled trial when analysing real world data, the investigators show associations between CGM use and lower rates of both cardiovascular complications and death in people with Type 2 diabetes on basal insulin therapy.”

Hospital admissions fall following Libre initiation

A second major dataset being presented at EASD adds further evidence about the potential impact of CGM on clinically important outcomes.

The French observational study included more than 253,000 people living with Type 2 diabetes and examined hospitalisations for acute diabetes events following initiation of Libre technology.

Acute events included severe hyperglycaemia, hypoglycaemia and diabetes-induced coma.

Hospitalisation rates for these events fell by 47 per cent among people treated with basal insulin and by 56 per cent among those using multiple daily insulin injections.

The largest reduction – 81 per cent – was observed among people receiving non-insulin therapies.

Taken together, the studies raise important questions about the potential role of CGM across a broader Type 2 diabetes population and, particularly, among people using basal insulin.

More than 63 million people worldwide rely on insulin to manage Type 2 diabetes, according to figures cited by Abbott, while previous studies suggest only 18 to 30 per cent of those using basal insulin achieve their HbA1c targets.

CGM gives people continuous information about their glucose levels and trends, allowing them to see the effects of factors including food, physical activity and medication and potentially make more informed decisions about their diabetes management.

Dr Mahmood Kazemi, Chief Medical Officer for Abbott’s diabetes care business, said the two studies add to evidence supporting CGM for people using basal insulin.

He said: “The magnitude of these findings is significant because they link CGM use to meaningful long-term outcomes, including lower risks of death, cardiovascular complications and hospitalisation.”

Further Type 2 diabetes data at EASD

Abbott is also presenting new analyses from the FreeDM2 randomised controlled trial involving adults with Type 2 diabetes using basal insulin during a Hot Topic Session at EASD on Wednesday, September 30.

The analyses indicate that participants experienced improvements in time in range within the first 24 hours of starting Libre 3 technology, with the benefits sustained over time.

The new findings add to a growing discussion around the role of CGM in Type 2 diabetes management beyond people using intensive insulin regimens and the potential impact of access to continuous glucose information on longer-term clinical outcomes.

Both sets of real-world data are being presented at EASD 2026, which opened in Milan on Monday, September 28.