Beyond Insulin: CGM Earns Its Place in Type 2 Care

Real-world data from ATTD 2026 shows CGM tech from Dexcom and Abbott delivers measurable gains across the full type 2 diabetes spectrum

15 Apr 2026

For decades, the continuous glucose monitor was a tool for the insulin-dependent: a biosensor for those whose bodies had lost the ability to regulate blood sugar on their own. That boundary is dissolving.

At the 19th annual Advanced Technologies and Treatments for Diabetes conference in Barcelona, Dexcom and Abbott presented real-world evidence that their monitoring platforms deliver measurable clinical gains across a broader population of type 2 diabetes patients than was previously established. The findings, if they hold under further scrutiny, would reposition an established device category as a mainstream metabolic management tool for tens of millions of additional patients.

Dexcom drew on registry data from American primary care settings, showing that one year of continuous use of its G7 device lowered HbA1c levels and supported weight management in type 2 patients not on insulin. The company also cited claims data showing a reduction in diabetic ketoacidosis-related hospitalisations among type 1 patients. Jake Leach, the company's chief executive, called ATTD "the most important global stage for advancing glucose biosensing" and stated that the data "reinforces the need for CGM to become the standard of care for all type 2 patients, regardless of insulin use."

Abbott's contribution was a randomised controlled trial, the FreeDM2 study, conducted across 24 clinical sites in the United Kingdom with 303 participants using basal insulin. FreeStyle Libre users achieved better glucose outcomes than those relying on traditional fingerstick monitoring; improvements were attributed to patients adjusting diet, insulin dosing, and activity levels using real-time data. A parallel Italian study reported similar gains in glucose control and quality of life.

The commercial backdrop amplifies the clinical stakes. The American CGM market was worth roughly $7.4 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach $17.2 billion by 2031, propelled by expanded Medicare coverage, over-the-counter availability, and the rapid growth of GLP-1 prescriptions for obesity. As millions begin weight-loss drug therapy, demand for real-time metabolic monitoring to optimise outcomes is growing alongside it.

What remains less clear is whether primary care systems, already stretched, can absorb the patient education and follow-up that translating sensor data into behaviour change genuinely requires.