The Bermuda Diabetes Association is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the exclusive rights as the sole distributor in Bermuda of the Abbott Freestyle Libre blood glucose monitoring system.

Traditional blood glucose monitoring that involves pricking a finger, putting a drop of blood on a test strip, inserting it into a glucose monitor and waiting for a glucose value hasn’t changed for decades. People with diabetes sometimes prick their fingers more than twelve times a day to check glucose levels. Its painful, invasive and a hassle.

Abbott is introducing the Freestyle Libre 14 day Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system into Bermuda. The Abbot Freestyle Continuous Glucose Monitoring eliminates painful finger pricks with the first factory calibrated affordable CGM.

Traditional blood glucose monitors only provide glucose readings at the time of the finger prick. People with diabetes depend on this information to make important health decisions, but glucose levels change throughout the day.

The FreeStyle Libre 14-day system allows people to see where their glucose levels are, where they’ve been and where they are heading. They can check their glucose anytime, anywhere, and as many times as they want. By seeing this information, trends and patterns, they can make informed treatment decisions, resulting in tighter control of their glucose, spending more time in range and less time in hypo- or hyperglycemia – all things that contribute to better overall health and improved outcomes.

The FreeStyle Libre is to be officially launched by the Bermuda Diabetes Association in May. People interested in obtaining the Abbott FreeStyle Libre system should contact the Bermuda Diabetes Association by calling 297-8427.

• Press release from the Bermuda Diabetes Association