Updated October 14, 2026, 3:37 p.m. ET
Many people start a GLP-1 and think the hard part is over. Diabetes experts say this is not the case.
GLP-1 medications have changed the way many people manage type 2 diabetes.
Medications can help lower blood sugar, promote weight loss, and improve overall diabetes management. For many patients, this is one of the most important therapeutic advances of the last decade.
But diabetes specialists say a common misunderstanding remains: Starting treatment doesn’t mean the end of the job.
Indeed, even when a GLP-1 is doing its job, people make dozens of decisions every day that affect their blood sugar levels, from what they eat for breakfast to whether they take a walk after dinner.
“The drug can help,” said Dr. Eden Miller, a diabetologist and obesity medicine researcher at Diabetes and Obesity Care in Bend, Oregon. “But it’s still important to understand what’s happening in your body on a daily basis.”
Increasingly, healthcare professionals are turning to continuous glucose monitors, or CGMs, as a way to provide the missing piece.
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Why doctors say real-time feedback can be important
One of the challenges of managing diabetes is that changes in blood sugar are largely invisible.
A person may know that they ate a healthy breakfast 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, day or night.
For some people, this visibility can take diabetes management from guesswork to something more concrete.
Instead of waiting for the next A1C test, users can see trends as they happen, including how meals, exercise, medication timing, sleep and stress affect glucose levels.
“This tool provides real-time information on the impact of lifestyle choices such as food, activity, medications and stress on a patient’s body,” Miller said. “We both benefit from this data, and it makes it easier for the patient to stay involved in these short- and long-term changes.”
New research suggests CGM and GLP-1 therapies could be a powerful combination
A growing body of real-world evidence suggests that people with type 2 diabetes may see additional benefits when continuous glucose monitoring is used alongside GLP-1 treatment.
A 2024 study published in Diabetes technology and therapeutics found that adults with type 2 diabetes who started treatment with GLP-1 and FreeStyle Libre technology at the same time achieved greater improvements in their HbA1c levels after six months than similar patients who started treatment with GLP-1 alone.
Researchers reported an average reduction in HbA1c of 2.4 percentage points among people using both therapies, compared to 1.7 percentage points among those using only a GLP-1 drug.
A separate study published in Diabetes therapy found that people with type 2 diabetes whose HbA1c levels were 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 HbA1c levels 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 could extend beyond HbA1c.
The real value is often in helping people connect their daily choices to what they see in their blood sugar data.
It’s something that Dawn Culver-Henkel, who lives with type 2 diabetes and uses a Libre 3 Plus sensor alongside GLP-1 therapy, says has made a significant difference.
“The GLP-1 has helped me change my eating habits, and my Libre 3 Plus sensor helps me understand how these choices affect me,” she said. “I like to think of it like banking: GLP-1 is what you put in 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 for my diabetes care,” she said. “I rely on blood sugar information to plan my diet, see my peaks, and even anticipate dips.”
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The essentials
GLP-1 drugs have transformed the treatment of many people with type 2 diabetes. But health professionals say the drugs are only one part of long-term diabetes management.
Understanding how diet, physical activity, stress and daily habits affect glucose levels can help people stay engaged and make more informed decisions over time.
For this reason, many diabetes specialists increasingly view continuous glucose monitoring and GLP-1 therapy not as competing tools, but as complementary tools.
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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