Cynthia Rice is senior vice president for advocacy and policy at JDRF.
“It’s very common to see [continuous glucose monitors] in different areas at JDRF events,” she said.
Rice explained that the companies usually go to the FDA with a proposed use and the data that they have to support that request. Initially, she said, a drug or device indication is usually very limited, and then expands.
“But it’s not against the law for people to use devices ‘off-label’ or for health care providers to prescribe them ‘off-label,'” she noted. Off-label means in a manner different from the original indication.
Levister wasn’t surprised by the study findings. She sees people use alternate sites all the time, she said. The one area she would caution against, however, is the calf.
“You want to be careful with the lower extremities and diabetes,” Levister said. People with diabetes can get serious infections in the lower extremities, so it’s better not to rely on that area, she explained.
Litchman’s advice? “If someone is interested in trying a different location, they may want to ask their health care providers about the pros and cons of other sites,” she said.
The study was presented Sunday at the American Association of Diabetes Educators meeting in Indianapolis. Research presented at meetings is usually considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
More information
Learn more about continuous glucose monitors from the U.S. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.