Continuous glucose monitors may reveal hidden heart risk patterns in adults without diabetes

by Boston University School of Medicine

edited by Gaby Clark, reviewed by Robert Egan

Gaby Clark

Scientific Editor

Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process

Robert Egan

Senior Editor

Meet our editorial team
Behind our editorial process Editors' notes

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility:

fact-checked

peer-reviewed publication

trusted source

proofread

The GIST Add as preferred source

Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are the clinical gold standards for screening blood sugar levels, yet they provide only static snapshots that fail to reflect the highly dynamic and heterogeneous nature of metabolic impairment. However, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is reshaping our understanding of these levels. While the medical community already has begun capitalizing on CGM for diabetes management, a new study has the potential to change current clinical practices for cardiovascular disease risk stratification in individuals without diabetes.

Researchers at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine have found that glucose patterns captured by CGM devices among adults without diabetes are related to markers of cardiometabolic risk. The findings, published in Diabetes Care, could ultimately inform future approaches to identifying individuals at greater risk for poor cardiometabolic health.

"Understanding temporal glucose patterns may be pivotal in uncovering early or intermittent dysglycemia and its downstream cardiometabolic risks. Continuous glucose monitoring may help characterize the heterogeneity underlying dysglycemia by enabling phenotyping of individuals across the blood sugar continuum," explains corresponding author Nicole Spartano, Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine.

The researchers analyzed continuous glucose monitoring data from approximately 1,300 participants in the Framingham Heart Study who did not have diabetes or cardiovascular disease. They examined several features of glucose patterns, including average glucose, glucose variability and periods of higher glucose, and studied how these measures related to markers of cardiometabolic health.

They found that higher average glucose and a higher percentage of time blood sugar exceeded 140 mg/dL were associated with higher risks of hypertension or high cholesterol. The findings suggest that, even among people without diabetes, glucose patterns may provide important insights into cardiometabolic health, including blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Ultimately, this work could inform future research aimed at diabetes and cardiovascular disease prevention, although additional studies are needed.

"Our findings align with a small but growing body of literature characterizing the cross-sectional associations of CGM measures and health outcomes. Emerging studies have also reported that a higher percentage of time spent at glucose levels >140 mg/dL is longitudinally associated with the development of cardiometabolic outcomes, including type 2 diabetes, among individuals without type 2 diabetes," adds lead author Bahar Bakhshi, MS, a Ph.D. candidate in the school's Molecular & Translational Medicine Program.

Publication details

Beyond Traditional Glycemic Measures: CGM Glycemic Profiles Reveal Associations With Cardiometabolic Risk in Individuals Without Diabetes, Diabetes Care (2026). DOI: 10.2337/dc26-1197

Journal information: Diabetes Care

Key medical concepts

Continuous Glucose MonitoringHypercholesterolemiaHigh Blood Pressure

Clinical categories

EndocrinologyCardiologyCommon illnesses & PreventionPreventive medicineHealthy living Provided by Boston University School of Medicine Who's behind this story?

Gaby Clark

MA in English, copy editor since 2021 with experience in higher education and health content. Dedicated to trustworthy science news. Full profile →

Robert Egan

Bachelor's in mathematical biology, Master's in creative writing. Well-traveled with unique perspectives on science and language. Full profile →

Citation: Continuous glucose monitors may reveal hidden heart risk patterns in adults without diabetes (2026, September 17) retrieved 17 September 2026 from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-09-glucose-reveal-hidden-heart-patterns.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.