Abbott's FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) system has demonstrated a significant reduction in the risk of hospitalization for cardiovascular complications in people with diabetes, according to new data from the company's REFLECT program. This breakthrough makes the FreeStyle Libre the first CGM technology shown to reduce the severity of cardiovascular complications in diabetes patients.
The findings come from three real-world retrospective studies conducted between October 2024 and April 2025, using data from the Swedish National Diabetes Register, which represents approximately 90% of all diabetes patients in Sweden.
Significant Cardiovascular Benefits for Type 1 Diabetes Patients
The most striking finding was a 78% reduction in cardiovascular disease-related hospitalizations for people with Type 1 diabetes who had previously experienced severe hypoglycemic events and were using the FreeStyle Libre intermittently scanned CGM (isCGM) compared to those using traditional blood glucose monitoring (BGM).
Dr. David Nathanson, lead author on one of the studies from Karolinska University Hospital in Sweden, emphasized the dual benefits of the technology: "These results are remarkable, as we see dual benefits from CGM technology in managing diabetes and its associated cardiovascular complications. This data shows that using CGMs is linked with significantly reduced hospitalizations related to heart issues, which can have a significant impact on patients, their families and the healthcare system by easing medical, emotional and financial burdens."
The research revealed that patients with Type 1 diabetes who had experienced prior severe hypoglycemic events (SHE) had a rate of 7.58 hospitalizations per 100 person-years of follow-up, compared to 5.04 for patients with no prior SHE. However, patients using isCGM had significantly lower hospitalizations for post-SHE cardiovascular complications compared to those using BGM.
Even more impressive, the risk of hospitalizations for cardiovascular disease was reduced by 80% among Type 1 diabetes patients with no prior history of cardiovascular disease when using the Libre technology. For individuals with a prior history of cardiovascular disease, the risk reduction was still substantial at 49%.
Benefits Extended to Type 2 Diabetes Patients
The REFLECT program also demonstrated cardiovascular benefits for patients with insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes. One study assessed 5,168 patients, including 2,876 on multiple daily insulin injections and 2,292 on basal insulin, who were matched with BGM control patients.
Results showed that Type 2 diabetes patients on multiple daily insulin injections using isCGM had a significantly lower relative risk of hospital admission for severe hypoglycemia, stroke, acute non-fatal myocardial infarction, or any reason compared to patients using BGM. In the basal insulin cohort, patients using isCGM had a lower relative risk of hospital admission for heart failure or any reason.
Addressing a Critical Health Concern
The findings address a critical health concern for the approximately 589 million people worldwide living with diabetes. People with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes are 2-4 times more likely than someone without diabetes to develop heart disease, a major cause of death for both groups.
"I regularly treat people with diabetes who have problems with their blood vessels, resulting in heart attacks, strokes and amputations," said Dr. Ramzi Ajjan, Professor of Metabolic Medicine at University of Leeds. "These blood vessel problems, known collectively as cardiovascular disease, remain the main causes of ill health and death in people with diabetes. I am very excited to see data that show significant reduction in cardiovascular disease-related hospital admissions."
Comprehensive Cardiovascular Protection
The REFLECT research considered a range of cardiovascular disease-related conditions including non-fatal heart attack, non-fatal stroke, coronary artery disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, and cardiovascular death – conditions commonly seen in people with diabetes.
Dr. Mahmood Kazemi, Chief Medical Officer for Abbott's diabetes care business, described the data as "transformative," stating that they "show just how valuable FreeStyle Libre technology is for managing both diabetes and heart health, helping millions of people live healthy lives."
Potential Healthcare Cost Implications
Beyond the clinical benefits, the findings suggest that the use of Libre technology could potentially lead to lower healthcare costs due to the reduction in hospital admissions related to heart complications. This aspect could be particularly significant given the substantial economic burden of diabetes-related hospitalizations on healthcare systems worldwide.
About FreeStyle Libre Technology
Abbott's FreeStyle Libre technology has revolutionized diabetes care over the past decade and is currently used by more than 7 million people across over 60 countries. The system allows users to monitor their glucose levels in real-time without the need for routine fingerstick testing, providing insights into how food, activity, or insulin impacts their glucose levels.
The technology has gained widespread acceptance, with full or partial reimbursement available in more than 40 countries, making it accessible to a broad population of diabetes patients who can now potentially benefit from both improved glucose control and reduced cardiovascular complications.
