Results From a Randomized Trial of Intensive Glucose Management Using CGM Versus Usual Care in Hospitalized Adults With Type 2 Diabetes: The TIGHT Study

To evaluate whether continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) could assist providers in intensifying glycemic management in hospitalized patients with type 2 diabetes.

At six academic hospitals, adults with type 2 diabetes hospitalized in a non–intensive care setting were randomly assigned to either standard therapy with glucose target 140–180 mg/dL (standard group) or intensive therapy with glucose target 90–130 mg/dL guided by CGM (intensive group). The primary outcome was mean glucose measured with CGM (blinded in standard group), and the key secondary outcome was CGM glucose <54 mg/dL.

For the 110 participants included in the primary analysis, mean ± SD age was 61 ± 12 years and mean HbA_1c was 8.9 ± 2.3% (73.8 ± 1.6 mmol/mol). During the study, CGM-measured mean glucose was 170 mg/dL for the intensive group (n = 60) vs. 175 mg/dL for the standard group (n = 50; risk-adjusted difference −7 mg/dL, 95% CI −19 to 5; P = 0.25). Only 7% of the intensive group achieved the mean glucose target range of 90–130 mg/dL. CGM readings <54 mg/dL were infrequent (0.2% for intensive and 0.4% for standard; adjusted treatment group difference −0.1%, 95% CI −0.6 to 0.3). One severe hypoglycemia event occurred in the standard group.

The study’s glucose management approach using CGM did not improve glucose levels compared with standard glucose management in the non–intensive care unit hospital setting. A glucose target of 90–130 mg/dL may not be realistic in the current environment of insulin management in the hospital.