The Emerging Role of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in the Management of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Narrative Review

The aim of this narrative review is to present data on the role of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in the management of peripheral diabetic neuropathy (DPN) among individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Adequate glycaemic control is crucial to prevent the development or progression of DPN. CGM systems are valuable tools for improving glycaemic control and reducing glycaemic variability (GV). Chronic hyperglycaemia is known to be a risk factor for the development of diabetic microvascular complications, including DPN. In addition, there is now evidence that GV, evaluated by mean amplitude of glycaemic excursions, may be a novel factor in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Increased GV appears to be an independent risk factor for DPN and correlates with painful neuropathy. Similarly, time-in-range correlates positively with peripheral nerve function and negatively with sudomotor dysfunction. However, relevant studies are rather limited in scope, and the vast majority are cross-sectional and use different methodologies for the assessment of DPN. Therefore, the causal relationship between CGM-derived data and the development of DPN cannot be firmly established at the present time. It also remains to be elucidated whether CGM measures can be considered the new therapeutic targets for DPN management.

Automated summary

This narrative review presents data on the role of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in the management of peripheral diabetic neuropathy (DPN) among individuals with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus. While CGM systems are valuable tools for improving glycaemic control and reducing glycaemic variability (GV), studies on the causal relationship between CGM-derived data and the development of DPN are limited, and it is yet to be determined whether CGM measures can serve as new therapeutic targets for DPN management.