Continuous glucose monitoring reveals trade-off between glucose control and daily well-being

by European Association for the Study of Diabetes

edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Andrew Zinin

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New research to be presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Milan, Italy, Sept. 28–Oct. 2, shows that among people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, data from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices paired with daily quality-of-life ratings found that days with more widely fluctuating glucose readings (while still within safe limits) were followed by days with better quality of life than days with stricter control—suggesting the burden of stricter control could prevent individuals from enjoying various activities.

The study is by Professor Dominic Ehrmann, FIDAM (Research Institute Diabetes Academy Mergentheim), Bad Mergentheim, Germany, and colleagues.

Maintaining and improving quality of life in people with diabetes is a central therapeutic goal. Understanding day-to-day factors in the daily lives of people with diabetes is therefore essential to better capture potential influences on quality of life. The aim of this analysis was to investigate the impact of CGM-derived glucose parameters on daily quality of life in individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

In the PRO-MENTAL study, quality of life was assessed daily over 14 consecutive days using ecological momentary assessment (EMA) based on the WHO-5 questionnaire. The questionnaire asks about five statements:

1. I have felt cheerful and in good spirits
2. I have felt calm and relaxed
3. I have felt active and vigorous
4. I woke up feeling fresh and rested
5. My daily life has been filled with things that interest me

In addition, daily sleep quality and perceived stress, mood and energy levels were recorded using the same EMA method. CGM data were analyzed over the 14-day EMA period, and the following parameters were assessed: blood sugar time below safe range (TBR: <70 mg/dl), time above safe range (TAR: >180 mg/dl), time in normal range (normoglycemia) (TING: 70–140 mg/dl), and glucose variability.

Statistical modeling was applied to examine whether glucose parameters, as well as sleep quality, stress, mood and energy on the previous day, predicted next-day quality of life. Additionally, a separate analysis was conducted in which all variables from the same day were included as predictors of quality of life. All models were adjusted for age, sex and diabetes type, and prior-day quality of life was included to ensure it did not heavily affect the results.

Data from 400 individuals with diabetes were analyzed (72% type 1 diabetes, 28% type 2 diabetes, 55% female, age 47 years [range 32–63 years], mean glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c—a measure of blood sugar control] 7.6%).

Higher glucose variability and greater time in normoglycemia on the previous day were significantly associated with higher quality of life on the following day.

Time above and below the safe range on the previous day showed no statistically significant association. Higher sleep quality during the preceding night and higher energy levels on the previous day (assessed by asking how energetic the person felt on a scale of 0 [not at all] to 10 [very much]) were also associated with improved next-day quality of life. Same-day glucose parameters were not associated with quality of life on that day.

The authors say, "Days with higher time in the normal safe range for blood sugar were followed by days on which individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes reported better quality of life, underscoring the importance of optimal blood sugar control for well-being.

"Interestingly, higher-than-usual glucose variability was also associated with improved next-day quality of life. These findings may suggest that individuals experience lower quality of life when attempting to minimize glucose fluctuations too strictly, potentially due to the associated burden or restrictions in daily life, which may contribute to some people living with diabetes feeling unable to safely engage in certain activities."

Key medical concepts

Quality of LifeContinuous Glucose Monitoring

Clinical categories

EndocrinologyCommon illnesses & PreventionHealthy living Provided by European Association for the Study of Diabetes Who's behind this story?

Sadie Harley

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Citation: Continuous glucose monitoring reveals trade-off between glucose control and daily well-being (2026, September 14) retrieved 14 September 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-glucose-reveals-daily.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.