Many people start a GLP-1 and think the hard part is over. Diabetes experts say that's not the case.
GLP-1 medications have changed the way many people manage Type 2 diabetes.
The drugs can help lower blood sugar, support weight loss and improve overall diabetes management. For many patients, they're among the biggest treatment advances of the past decade.
But diabetes specialists say one common misunderstanding remains: starting the medication isn't the end of the work.
That's because even when a GLP-1 is doing its job, people are still making dozens of decisions every day that affect their blood sugar, from what they eat for breakfast to whether they take a walk after dinner.
"The medication can help," said Dr. Eden Miller, a diabetologist and obesity medicine fellow at Diabetes and Obesity Care in Bend, Oregon. "But understanding what's happening
in your body day to day is still important."
Increasingly, healthcare professionals are looking at continuous glucose monitors, or CGMs, as a way to provide that missing piece.
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Why doctors say real-time feedback can matter
One challenge in diabetes management is that blood sugar changes are largely invisible.
A person might know they had a healthy lunch or completed a workout, but they don't always know how those choices affected their glucose levels.
A CGM changes that by providing real-time information throughout the day and night.
For some people, that visibility can turn diabetes management from guesswork into something more actionable.
Instead of waiting for the next A1C test, users can see patterns as they happen, including how meals, exercise, medication timing, sleep and stress affect glucose levels.
"This tool provides real-time information on how lifestyle choices such as food, activity, medication and stress can impact a patient's body," Miller said. "We both benefit from this data, and it makes it easier for a patient to stay engaged with these changes in the short- and long-term."
New research suggests CGMs and GLP-1 therapies may be a powerful combination
A growing body of real-world evidence suggests people with Type 2 diabetes may see additional benefits when continuous glucose monitoring is used alongside GLP-1 therapy.
One 2024 study published in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics found that adults with Type 2 diabetes who began GLP-1 therapy and FreeStyle Libre technology at the same time achieved greater HbA1c improvements after six months than similar patients who started GLP-1 therapy alone.
Researchers reported an average HbA1c reduction of 2.4 percentage points among people using both therapies compared with 1.7 percentage points among those using only a GLP-1 medication.
A separate study published in Diabetes Therapy found that people with Type 2 diabetes who had HbA1c levels above 8% experienced significant improvements after adding FreeStyle Libre technology to an existing GLP-1 regimen.
"In this real-world study, adults with Type 2 diabetes who were already taking GLP-1 therapies reduced their A1C by an average of 1.5 percentage points after starting Abbott's Libre technology," Miller said.
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It's not just about numbers
Doctors say the biggest benefit may extend beyond HbA1c.
The real value is often helping people connect their everyday choices to what they're seeing in their glucose data.
That's something Dawn Culver-Henkel, who lives with Type 2 diabetes and uses a Libre 3 Plus sensor alongside GLP-1 therapy, says has made a meaningful difference.
"The GLP-1 helped me make changes to my eating habits, and my Libre 3 Plus sensor helps me understand how those choices are affecting me," she said. "I like to think of it like banking: the GLP-1 is what you're putting into your account, and Libre helps you check your balance."
Another Libre 3 Plus user, Jodi Franks, says the data helps keep her accountable.
"My Libre 3 Plus sensor helps me stay accountable to my diabetes care," she said. "I rely on the glucose insights to plan out my food, see my spikes and even anticipate lows."
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The bottom line
GLP-1 medications have transformed treatment for many people living with Type 2 diabetes. But healthcare professionals say medications are only one part of long-term diabetes management.
Understanding how food, physical activity, stress and daily habits affect glucose levels may help people stay engaged and make more informed decisions over time.
For that reason, many diabetes specialists increasingly view continuous glucose monitoring and GLP-1 therapy not as competing tools, but as complementary ones.
Learn more
People living with diabetes can learn more about the FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensor and Abbott's free sensor trial program here.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The mistake diabetes specialists see after people start GLP-1 meds
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