Comparison of two glucose-monitoring systems for use in horses

Comparison of two glucose-monitoring systems for use in horses
Am J Vet Res. 2022 Jan 12;1-7. doi: 10.2460/ajvr.21.05.0068. Online ahead of print.
Authors
Caitlin E Malik 1 , David M Wong 1 2 , Katarzyna A Dembek 3 , Katherine E Wilson 1
Affiliations

1 Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA.
2 College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA.
3 College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC.

PMID: 35038307
DOI: 10.2460/ajvr.21.05.0068

Abstract

Objective: To determine the accuracy of 2 interstitial glucose-monitoring systems (GMSs) for use in horses compared with a point-of-care (POC) glucometer and standard laboratory enzymatic chemistry method (CHEM).

Animals: 8 clinically normal adult horses.

Procedures: One of each GMS device (Dexcom G6 and Freestyle Libre 14-day) was placed on each horse, and blood glucose concentration was measured via POC and CHEM at 33 time points and compared with simultaneous GMS readings. An oral glucose absorption test (OGAT) was performed on day 2, and glucose concentrations were measured and compared.

Results: Glucose concentrations were significantly correlated with one another between all devices on days 1 to 5. Acceptable agreement was observed between Dexcom G6 and Freestyle Libre 14-day when compared with CHEM on days 1, 3, 4, and 5 with a combined mean bias of 10.45 mg/dL and 1.53 mg/dL, respectively. During dextrose-induced hyperglycemia on day 2, mean bias values for Dexcom G6 (10.49 mg/dL) and FreeStyle Libre 14-day (0.34 mg/dL) showed good agreement with CHEM.

Clinical relevance: Serial blood glucose measurements are used to diagnose or monitor a variety of conditions in equine medicine; advances in near-continuous interstitial glucose monitoring allow for minimally invasive glucose assessment, thereby reducing stress and discomfort to patients. Data from this study support the use of the Dexcom G6 and Freestyle Libre 14-day interstitial glucose-monitoring systems to estimate blood glucose concentrations in horses.