Effect of Ethanol Consumption on the Accuracy of a Glucose Oxidase-Based Subcutaneous Glucose Sensor in Subjects with Type 1 Diabetes.
Vanessa Moscardó, Alia Garcia, Jorge Bondia, Julián Diaz, Agustín Ramos-Prol, Paolo Rossetti
Author Information
Vanessa Moscardó: Facultad de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Internacional de Valencia, 46002 Valencia, Spain.
Alia Garcia: Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital of La Ribera, 46600 Alzira, Spain.
Jorge Bondia: Instituto Universitario de Automática e Informática Industrial, Universitat Politècnica de València, 46022 Valencia, Spain. ORCID
Julián Diaz: Hospital Francesc de Borja, 46702 Gandia, Spain.
Agustín Ramos-Prol: Hospital Francesc de Borja, 46702 Gandia, Spain.
Paolo Rossetti: Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM)-Grupo CB17/08/00004, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 41092 Madrid, Spain.
Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) have improved the management of patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D), with glucose oxidase (GOx)-based sensors being the most used. However, they are potentially subject to both electrochemical and enzymatic interferences, including those related to changes of pH. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of ethanol, given as beer along with a mixed meal, on the accuracy of a commercial GOx-CGM. Data from 12 T1D participants in a randomized crossover trial to evaluate the effect of meal composition and alcohol consumption on postprandial glucose concentration were used. Absolute error (AE) and mean absolute relative difference (MARD) were calculated. The differences between the alcohol and nonalcohol scenarios were assessed using the Mann−Whitney U and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. The AE in the alcohol study was low, but significantly greater as compared to the study without alcohol (p-value = 0.0418). The MARD was numerically but not significantly greater. However, both variables were greater at pH < 7.36 and significantly affected by time only in the alcohol arm. In T1D, alcohol consumption affects the accuracy of a GOx-CGM. This effect could be at least partially related to the ethanol-induced changes in pH.
