The duo aims to help better understand how diabetes technology, like continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), can help. They hope to aid people with diabetes make more informed decisions about their food and activity.
Abbott develops a family of CGMs, the latest being the FreeStyle Libre 3. The company said that, over time, data from CGMs helps people with diabetes learn patterns and create a nutritional plan. That plan can help provide steady glucose levels and the potential for improved clinical outcomes, like lower A1C.
“What people with diabetes eat is a critical part of managing their diabetes,” said Charles “Chuck” Henderson, CEO of the ADA. “Personalized nutrition using CGMs has the potential to revolutionize diabetes management by providing individuals with more data and tools to manage their glucose levels, improve their quality of life, and reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications. The ADA is grateful to Abbott for its continued support of our mission to improve the lives of people impacted by diabetes. ”
The plan for the Abbott – ADA collaboration
Through this partnership, Abbott plans to provide the ADA with a $2.65 million grant over the next three years. It builds upon more than 20 years of cooperation between Abbott and the ADA.
With the grant, ADA can engage with healthcare professionals and opinion leaders to evaluate clinical evidence for CGMs with personalized, therapeutic nutrition.
ADA also plans to launch two pilot programs targeting adults with type 2 diabetes to better understand the role of CGM in personalized therapeutic nutrition. These programs leverage CGM data to understand how they help people with diabetes achieve their objectives. That includes modifications to nutritional intake and dietary habits.
Additionally, ADA intends to host roundtable discussions in collaboration with healthcare experts to review and evaluate existing clinical evidence. The discussions aim to investigate the role of therapeutic nutrition using CGM data and the potential to inform nutrition recommendations.
“Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre technology can be a critical tool for all people living with diabetes, not only those on insulin,” said Robert B. Ford, chair and CEO, Abbott. “We look forward to working with the American Diabetes Association to gather further evidence to show how the technology we designed to be affordable and accessible can provide personalized insights t0 help people make informed decisions about their food and activity.”
