Abbott Diabetes Care announced that it has obtained CE Mark for the FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system indicated for children and teens with diabetes aged 4-17 years old.
A person with diabetes typically self-monitors their glucose by pricking their fingers routinely to check their glucose level, enabling appropriate adjustments to insulin, diet, and activity based on their health care professionals’ recommendations to help achieve good glycemic control. However, according to research, there is often reluctance from people with diabetes, especially children and adolescents, to perform this task, based in part on the discomfort and pain of finger pricking.
Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system, which is available in several European countries is designed to change how people with diabetes measure their glucose levels and ultimately help them achieve better health outcomes. The system reads glucose levels through a sensor that is worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days, eliminating the need for routine finger pricks. In addition, no finger prick calibration is needed—a key differentiator from current continuous glucose monitoring systems.
In a recent accuracy study, Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre flash glucose monitoring system was clinically proven to be accurate, stable and consistent for up to 14 days without the need for finger prick calibration, for children and teens aged 4-17 years old. In addition, more than 97 percent of these children and teens said that the FreeStyle Libre system is easier to use than finger prick testing.
Key features of Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre System include:
- The system requires no finger prick calibration
- Disposable, water-resistant sensor can be worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days
- Glucose readings can be taken as many times per day as needed or desired, with a painless one second scan
- Each scan provides a current glucose reading, 8-hour history and the direction glucose is heading
- The data generated by the system is designed to provide actionable trends and patterns that may help people determine how to modify food and other behaviors to better manage their diabetes in consultation with their healthcare professionals
Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre system is currently available in Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and theUnited Kingdom.
