Could Continuous Glucose Monitoring Facilitate Identifying Diabetes Patients with a Higher Risk of Hypoglycemia during Driving?

Abstract

An extensive article about driving with diabetes mellitus by Kohrman and coauthors1 was published in Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology. The authors mentioned that a hypoglycemic episode during driving is generally considered as one of the main risk factors for driving mishaps. Furthermore, they suggested the use of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) as one of the possible tools to prevent hypoglycemia during driving.1 A survey of 1076 adults with type 1 diabetes mellitus revealed that the distribution of severe hypoglycemia was highly skewed, with 5% of subjects accounting for 54% of all episodes.2 In almost all the studies concerning hypoglycemia during driving, information is obtained through questionnaires filled in by the patients themselves. The value of such questionnaires is limited, because patients tend to describe the occurrence of hypoglycemia in a more positive fashion.3 Moreover, unrecognized hypoglycemia remains undetected. Continuous glucose monitoring provides information about fluctuation in blood glucose levels and can also uncover asymptomatic hypoglycemia.4 Unfortunately, the use of CGM is not widespread, and it is also limited by its cost.