More than 900 diabetics have been provided with pain-free continuous glucose monitors as part of an effort to reduce the risks of severe complications.

The joint programme, initiated by the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Youth Diabetes Action in 2023, is aimed at improving blood sugar levels in 1,200 diabetics, with the more than 900 provided with monitors being aged between two and 30 years old.

“The sensor reflects timely blood glucose level data on smart phones, which reduces the burden of diabetes management for patients and their families,” said Elaine Chow, associate professor of medicine and therapeutics at the university.

“It reduces the pain and inconvenience that come with finger-prick tests and monitors blood glucose levels on a 24-hour basis, which is very convenient for patients,” she added.

Findings based on 644 of the participants saw significant improvements in overall glucose control after both six and 12 months, according to Ronald Ma, head of the division of endocrinology and diabetes (academic) at the university.

“There have been significant decreases in hospitalization from severe diabetes complications after using the monitoring device,” Ma said.

Hospital bills for diabetics developing severe complications can be costly, with Juliana Lui, assistant professor of medicine and therapeutics pointing out that they can range from HK$23,000 to HK$47,000.

The devices, which cost from HK$400 to HK$700 each depending on the brand, can carry out the monitoring for between 10 and 15 days. Diabetics have to bear the costs by themselves.

Four-year-old Pok Man, who developed Type 1 diabetes, had to endure finger-prick tests eight to nine times a day.

His mother said the sensor helps in the effective monitoring of his blood glucose levels, allowing them to inject accurate amounts of insulin.

“I can monitor his blood glucose levels remotely even if he is at school” she said.

Enoch, a 24-year-old diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes two years ago, says the sensor enables him to manage his blood sugar levels without pain.

He said he spends HK$400 on a device every 10 days.

“It is like having an alarm clock on my phone, reminding me to inject insulin whenever my blood sugar is too high or too low,” Enoch said.

Ma said the continuous glucose monitoring initiative mainly benefited young Type 1 patients and might help diabetics who are pregnant.

Severe low blood sugar is relatively common in Hong Kong. Local research indicates that annually, for every 1,000 youths or children with Type 1 diabetes, 35 develop severe complications.