Abbott FreeStyle Libre helps diabetes patients manage glucose without pain or hassle

Abbott FreeStyle Libre offers fast and reliable monitoring without painful fingerpricks

Simple and discreet for those living with diabetes, the FreeStyle Libre portfolio has changed the lives of nearly 3 million people worldwide. The FreeStyle Libre system helps monitor glucose levels every minute through a small, coin-sized sensor worn on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days – making it the longest-lasting flash glucose monitoring device available globally. In 2019, Abbott's FreeStyle Libre system won the Prix Galien USA award for Best Medical Technology, popularly considered as the equivalent of the Nobel Prize in biopharmaceutical research.

The FreeStyle Libre sensor measures glucose in interstitial fluid through a small (5.5mm long) filament that is inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad. A quick scan of the sensor with a reader provides a real-time glucose reading and a detailed picture of a person's glucose levels, without the need for painful, routine fingersticks or daily calibration, enabling meaningful lifestyle and therapy interventions with actionable insights.

Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre portfolio has revolutionised the way diabetes is managed globally in more than 50 countries. Of these, 37 countries have full or partial reimbursed access to FreeStyle Libre, including Australia, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, the UK, Canada, and the US.

For over three decades, self-monitoring of blood glucose using finger-stick blood samples, test strips, and portable meters has aided diabetes management. However, this method only provides a single glucose reading at one point in time and requires drawing blood with a fingerstick every time.

According to the International Diabetes Federation, 463 million adults (aged 20-79), or one in 11 adults, lived with diabetes worldwide, but nearly half of them were undiagnosed. In Vietnam, the number of people living with diabetes is forecast to jump from 3.8 million to 6.3 million by 2045 by the World Diabetes Federation (IDF).

“Abbott’s revolutionary technology has changed the way millions of people manage diabetes globally and we are excited to bring this to Vietnam,” said Douglas Kuo, general manager of Abbott in Vietnam.

“Vietnamese people living with diabetes now have a choice of managing diabetes better by making adjustments to diet, medication or lifestyle, as FreeStyle Libre provides actionable information including current glucose levels, 8-hour glucose history, a trend arrow indicating how the glucose is moving, as well as time-in-range. All of this without routine finger-pricking and other hassles associated with traditional monitoring,” he added.

The Freestyle Libre system can monitor blood sugar levels for 14 days at a time

Clinical trials and real-world data show that FreeStyle Libre system users have improved glucose control, decreased time in hyperglycemia (high glucose) and hypoglycemia (abnormal low glucose) as well as reduced hospitalisations, HbA1C levels, and better quality of life.

In Vietnam the number of people living with diabetes with well-managed glucose level remains low, standing at 36 per cent (or one of three meeting the HbA1C target of below 7.0 per cent), according to a Vietnam national study.

“Proper and regular glucose management could help people with diabetes adjust their lifestyle in time and at the same time provide doctors insight and information to adjust medical treatment,” said Prof. Dr. Tran Huu Dang, chairman of the Vietnam Association of Diabetes and Endocrinology, formerly vice rector of Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Diabetes, when not managed well, can impact health and quality of life. In Vietnam, there is a relatively high number of people living with diabetes facing depression, stated findings from a Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy research published in early 2020.

To that end, continuous glucose monitoring is recommended in Vietnam’s Ministry of Health’s (MoH) national guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of Type 2 diabetes mellitus for people who desire to better manage their glucose levels and for hospitalised patients with required glucose monitoring.

FreeStyle Libre is now available in Vietnam across multiple medical equipment stores, pharmacies, drugstore chains, and Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre official online store on Lazada.