Driving Diabetes

17/03/2026

01/02/2026

How reliable are CGMs for detecting hypos?

Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) are brilliant for trends and early warnings - but they don’t always reflect your exact blood glucose in that moment.

CGMs are around 90% accurate overall, but less accurate when glucose is changing fast.

CGMs measure glucose in interstitial fluid, NOT blood.
So when glucose is dropping fast, there can be a lag of around 5–10 minutes.

That means you may feel hypo symptoms, while your CGM still looks “okay”.

👉 when your symptoms don’t match the CGM readings, a finger-prick can provide a real-time BGL.

👉 check the CGM trend arrows to see how fast your BGL is falling. The number + the direction + how you feel tells the full story.

🏵️Tip #1: catch hypos early

Set your low alert higher than hypo range, around 4.2 - 4.5mmol/L (81 mg/dL) to allow time to act early with long-acting carb, and prevent the drop.

🏵️Tip #2: trust your finger-prick

For the most accurate reading:

✳ use a well-maintained, in-date glucometer
✳ wash your hands with soap and water and dry them thoroughly before testing

Residue on fingers or an old meter can skew results, especially during hypos.

👉 The bottom line:

✳ CGMs guide you.
✳ Finger-pricks confirm real-time levels.
✳ Early alerts + the right carbs can stop a hypo before it fully lands.

see more about hypos 👉 hypoduo.com

31/01/2026

The Hypo Zones

🟡 Caution zone: 3.9–3.0 mmol/L or 70–54 mg/dL
Your body senses the drop and releases adrenaline.
Symptoms can include hunger, sweating, shaking, anxiety and irritability.

👉 Treat here to stop things going lower.

🔴 Red zone:

18/01/2026

Not above 5mmol to drive? HYPO DUO has your back!

18/01/2026

💉 Needle length & hypos

If insulin is injected into muscle instead of fatty tissue, it can be absorbed faster and less predictably, increasing the risk of unexpected hypos.

Muscle has higher blood flow than fat, so insulin may act stronger and sooner, especially during or after activity.

What can help:

👉 Using shorter needles (often 4 mm for most people)

👉Injecting at 90° into relaxed skin

👉 Using a skin pinch if needed

👉 Reviewing technique if hypos feel unexplained

If you’re having frequent or surprise hypos, it could be needle length or injection technique. Talk to your diabetes healthcare team for individualised support.

💚 hypoduo.com