Managing type 2 diabetes can be a daily challenge. People often need to balance medications, diet, physical activity, stress levels, and regular blood sugar checks.
Even with careful effort, many individuals struggle to keep their blood sugar within healthy limits.
A new study presented at the 2025 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions suggests that a technology once used mainly by people with type 1 diabetes or insulin-treated diabetes may also offer major benefits for people with type 2 diabetes who do not use insulin.
The study found that continuous glucose monitoring, commonly known as CGM, significantly improved blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes who were not receiving insulin therapy.
The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, held in New Orleans from June 5 to June 8, and have attracted considerable attention among diabetes specialists.
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases worldwide. It occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or cannot produce enough insulin to regulate blood sugar effectively. Over time, elevated blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, increasing the risk of heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, vision loss, and nerve damage.
One of the most important measures of long-term blood sugar control is a test called HbA1c. This test reflects average blood sugar levels over the previous two to three months. Most people with diabetes are encouraged to maintain their HbA1c below certain targets because lower levels are associated with fewer complications.
Traditionally, many people with type 2 diabetes who do not use insulin have relied on occasional finger-prick blood tests to monitor their glucose levels. While these tests provide useful information, they only offer snapshots of blood sugar at specific moments. Continuous glucose monitoring works differently.
CGM devices use a small sensor placed under the skin that measures glucose levels throughout the day and night. The device continuously collects data and can show trends, patterns, and fluctuations that might otherwise go unnoticed. This allows patients and healthcare providers to make more informed decisions about diet, exercise, medications, and lifestyle habits.
The new study was led by Dr. Tamara Oser from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Researchers enrolled 283 adults with type 2 diabetes whose HbA1c levels were 7.5 percent or higher, indicating that their blood sugar was not adequately controlled.
Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group received the Dexcom G7 continuous glucose monitoring system, while the other group continued with routine diabetes care. Researchers followed both groups for 26 weeks.
At the beginning of the study, many participants were already taking modern diabetes medications. About 40 percent were using incretin-based therapies, while 37 percent were taking SGLT2 inhibitors. These medications are commonly prescribed because they help lower blood sugar and may provide additional benefits for heart and kidney health.
Despite these treatments, average HbA1c levels remained elevated. Researchers therefore wanted to determine whether access to real-time glucose information could further improve outcomes.
The results were striking. Participants using continuous glucose monitoring experienced a significantly greater reduction in HbA1c than those receiving routine care alone. On average, HbA1c decreased by an additional 0.9 percentage points in the CGM group compared with the routine care group after 26 weeks.
Researchers also found important improvements in daily blood sugar control. Participants using CGM spent approximately five additional hours each day within the recommended glucose target range of 70 to 180 milligrams per deciliter.
Spending more time within this range is considered a key goal in diabetes management because it reduces exposure to both high and low blood sugar levels.
Beyond the laboratory numbers, the study found benefits for emotional well-being. Participants using CGM reported greater satisfaction with glucose monitoring and experienced lower levels of diabetes-related distress.
Living with diabetes can be mentally exhausting, and reducing the burden of disease management can have a meaningful impact on quality of life.
Continuous glucose monitoring may also help people better understand how their daily choices affect blood sugar. Individuals can immediately see how meals, physical activity, sleep, stress, and medications influence glucose levels. This real-time feedback may encourage healthier behaviors and greater engagement in self-care.
The findings are particularly significant because many healthcare systems have historically limited CGM access to people using insulin. If future research confirms these benefits, eligibility criteria for CGM coverage could potentially expand to include more people with type 2 diabetes who are not on insulin therapy.
However, the researchers also noted that several study authors reported relationships with pharmaceutical and medical device companies, including Dexcom, the manufacturer of the CGM system used in the study. Such disclosures are common in medical research and help ensure transparency.
From a scientific perspective, this study provides strong evidence that continuous glucose monitoring can improve diabetes management even among people who are not using insulin. The randomized design strengthens confidence in the findings, and the improvements in both HbA1c and time in range are clinically meaningful.
However, longer studies will be needed to determine whether these improvements translate into fewer complications such as heart disease, kidney disease, and vision loss. Overall, the research suggests that CGM technology may become an increasingly important tool for helping people with type 2 diabetes achieve better long-term health.
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Source: University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus.
