FDA approves seven-day glucose monitor

Washington -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration Monday approved a device that measures glucose levels continuously for up to seven days in people with diabetes.

While a standard fingerstick test records a person's glucose level as a snapshot in time, the STS-7 Continuous Glucose Monitoring System measures glucose levels every five minutes throughout a seven-day period. The FDA said that additional information can be used to track patterns in glucose levels throughout the week that wouldn't be captured by fingerstick measurements.

However, diabetics must still rely on the fingerstick test to decide whether additional insulin is needed, the FDA added.

The STS-7 System, manufactured by DexCom Inc. of San Diego uses a disposable sensor placed just below the skin in the abdomen to measure the level of glucose in the fluid found in the body's tissues. Sensor placement causes minimal discomfort and can easily be done by patients themselves. An alarm can be programmed to sound if a patient's glucose level reaches pre-set lows or pre-set highs.

A three-day version of the device was approved in March 2006.

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.