Combining CGM and Insulin Pumps for Diabetes Management
When you’re living with diabetes, monitoring glucose levels and staying within your target glucose range means working 24/7 to look after your health. It’s a demanding job to constantly check on your glucose levels while balancing the many factors that affect your health—including diet, exercise, and sleep—to make sure you minimize the risk of hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).
Whether you use an insulin pump or multiple daily injections (MDI) to manage diabetes, checking your glucose levels and ensuring that you get the correct dosages of insulin can be time-consuming. It takes both time and constant attention to understand your body’s unique patterns (and your personal habits) to know when to give yourself extra insulin and get the most out of your pump.1
With an insulin pump that’s compatible with a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system, the insulin and pump are integrated or connected, meaning they communicate with one another directly, so you can automate some of the manual glucose regulation.2 When used together, these devices can make it easier for you to keep a close eye on your glucose levels and automatically adjust and administer the amount of insulin you need to help you maintain healthy glucose levels in the body.
When it comes to maximizing your health and sense of well being, your doctor is your guide for determining the treatment plan and diabetes management options that are best for you. If you’re curious about combining an insulin pump with a CGM system, here’s some information that can help you start a conversation with your doctor about whether it might be a good fit.
What is a CGM-Compatible Insulin Pump?
CGM systems and insulin pumps are both digital technologies that help people living with diabetes manage their glucose levels.
An insulin pump is a device that delivers insulin into the body, replacing multiple daily insulin injections. With the direction of a healthcare provider, you can program your pump to inject insulin at important intervals throughout the day, such as after a meal, to keep your glucose levels within your target range.1 Diabetes Canada defines the standard target range as 3.9–10.0 mmol/L.3 Insulin pumps can also provide what’s called basal insulin, which is a constant low level delivery of insulin that helps keep glucose levels stable throughout the day.4
CGM systems, including Dexcom G6, work by continuously measuring your glucose levels via a small sensor that’s inserted just under the skin. The sensor is connected to a transmitter that sends the glucose information to a compatible smart device.* This makes it easy to monitor glucose levels on an ongoing basis as the sensor can detect whether you are in range, if you’re approaching a high or low, and if you reach a serious low (under 3.1 mmol/L).†
A CGM-compatible insulin pump can integrate directly with the CGM system. Instead of you having to manually calculate how much insulin to take based on your glucose level from a fingerstick or CGM, the pump uses data from the CGM system to automatically dose insulin. You may see some types of CGM and insulin pump integrations called a “closed-loop system” or even an “artificial pancreas.”2 The idea is that this system automates the process of detecting glucose levels so that the pump can send in the right amount of insulin to ensure that glucose can be used to fuel the body—similar to a pancreas.
What Insulin Pumps are Compatible with Dexcom?
The Tandem Diabetes Care t:slim X2 insulin pump is compatible with the Dexcom G6 CGM System. The insulin pump and CGM work together by using Dexcom G6 data to predict changes in glucose levels and telling the t:slim X2 insulin pump to deliver the appropriate dose of insulin.
Tandem Diabetes Care Control-IQ technology onboard the t:slim X2 insulin pump creates a hybrid closed-loop system that’s designed to automatically adjust the user’s insulin levels based on Dexcom G6 readings. With the real-time data from Dexcom G6, Control-IQ technology enables the t:slim X2 insulin pump to deliver extra insulin (known as an automatic correction bolus) to prevent hyperglycemia and suspends insulin delivery to prevent hypoglycemia.‡
People living with Type 1 diabetes using a hybrid closed-loop system, like the t:slim X2 insulin pump with Control-IQ technology, have been able to stay in range an average of 2.6 hours longer each day, compared to a control group.5 It has also been shown to help manage glucose levels during the night and significantly reduce the time individuals spend in hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia.5
For people already using the t:slim X2 insulin pump and Dexcom G6, it’s easy to update your pump system to Control-IQ technology. Always consult your doctor about any changes you’re planning to make to your diabetes treatment plan. They can help you determine if Control-IQ is right for you and to make the switch.
If you’re thinking about starting on the t:slim X2 insulin pump, note that you’ll need to purchase the pump system and Dexcom G6 separately.
Tandem Diabetes Care Control-IQ technology user and Dexcom Warrior Evelyn Riddell has shared her experience using the system to manage type 1 diabetes. Check out her story to see how a hybrid closed-loop system helped improve her diabetes management experience.
Why Should I Choose a CGM-Compatible Insulin Pump?
A CGM-compatible insulin pump that leverages closed-loop technology might be a good choice for you if you spend a lot of time juggling multiple daily injections (MDI) or fine-tuning your insulin pump schedule while performing fingersticks or constantly checking up on glucose data from your CGM system. Relying on an integrated system lessens some of the burden and frees you to focus on being present throughout your day.
A closed-loop system may also help you reach your time in range (TIR) and A1C goals.5 Some pumps let you set up different insulin delivery schedules that work with your lifestyle. For example, you can set up weekday and weekend schedules to accommodate changes in your sleeping and eating habits. You can also set the pump to align insulin delivery with changes in your physical activity levels and sleep schedule.
With a CGM-compatible insulin pump, you can pass on some of the mental math that goes into administering insulin levels to your diabetes devices. Finding the right tools to aid your glucose management can help you feel better and enjoy the things you love to do.
Improve th Way You Manage Diabetes with CGM
A Dexcom G6-compatible pump can help you get even more from your CGM. By automating glucose monitoring and insulin delivery, you can get a little more peace of mind as you manage your glucose levels on a day-to-day basis.
If you’re exploring your options when it comes to CGM-compatible insulin pumps, there are insurance programs you can take advantage of to get the support you need. Learn more about the insurance coverage available for the Dexcom G6 CGM System.
*For a list of compatible devices, visit www.dexcom.com/compatibility
†If your glucose alerts and readings from the G6 do not match symptoms or expectations, use a blood glucose meter to make diabetes treatment decisions.
‡ If glucose values are predicted to be above 10.0 mmol/L, Control-IQ technology calculates a correction bolus using the Personal Profile settings and a target of 6.1 mmol/L and delivers 60% of that value. An Automatic Correction Bolus will not occur within 60 minutes of a bolus that has been delivered or cancelled.
†If your glucose alerts and readings from the G6 do not match symptoms or expectations, use a blood glucose meter to make diabetes treatment decisions.
‡ If glucose values are predicted to be above 10.0 mmol/L, Control-IQ technology calculates a correction bolus using the Personal Profile settings and a target of 6.1 mmol/L and delivers 60% of that value. An Automatic Correction Bolus will not occur within 60 minutes of a bolus that has been delivered or cancelled.
1 Learning About Insulin Pumps. MyHealth Alberta. Updated July 28, 2021. Accessed September 12, 2022. https://myhealth.alberta.ca/health/AfterCareInformation/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=abp2722&2 Vettoretti M, et al. Combining continuous glucose monitoring and insulin pumps to automatically tune the basal insulin infusion in diabetes therapy: a review. Biomed Eng Online. 2019;18(1):37. doi:10.1186/s12938-019-0658-x
3 Imran AS, et. al. Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada: Targets for Glycemic Control. Can J Diabetes 2018:42(S42–S46). doi: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2017.10.030
4 Insulin Pumps. Cleveland Clinic. Updated March 26, 2021. Accessed September 12, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9811-insulin-pumps5 Brown SA, et al. Six-month randomized, multicenter trial of closed-loop control in type 1 diabetes. N Eng J Med. 2019;381(18):1701-1717. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1907863
6 Behind the Scenes with Tandem Control-IQ. Connected in Motion. June 14, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2022. https://www.connectedinmotion.ca/blog/behind-the-scenes-with-tandem-control-iq/
3 Imran AS, et. al. Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada: Targets for Glycemic Control. Can J Diabetes 2018:42(S42–S46). doi: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2017.10.030
4 Insulin Pumps. Cleveland Clinic. Updated March 26, 2021. Accessed September 12, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9811-insulin-pumps5 Brown SA, et al. Six-month randomized, multicenter trial of closed-loop control in type 1 diabetes. N Eng J Med. 2019;381(18):1701-1717. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1907863
6 Behind the Scenes with Tandem Control-IQ. Connected in Motion. June 14, 2021. Accessed September 13, 2022. https://www.connectedinmotion.ca/blog/behind-the-scenes-with-tandem-control-iq/