A new survey by Abbott in Malaysia highlights a familiar paradox in diabetes management: routine self-checks are common, yet clarity on long-term control is patchy. Many respondents test regularly but do not recall their HbA1c, a gap that can mask suboptimal control at the population level and complicate efforts to curb non-communicable disease burden.
Confidence outweighs control for many Malaysians with diabetes
The survey depicts high motivation to self-monitor alongside uncertainty about longer-term metrics. That disconnect matters for clinical services, budgeting, and health-communication campaigns, especially as Malaysia’s Ministry of Health positions diabetes control as a core priority under its national non‑communicable disease strategy.
- Routine monitoring: Nine in 10 Malaysians living with diabetes report checking glucose regularly.
- Awareness gap: Nearly 40% do not recall their HbA1c, a three‑month indicator of overall control.
- Confidence effect: Among regular testers who are unsure about their glucose levels, 77% still believe they manage diabetes well.
- Method reliance: Most respondents continue to use finger‑prick checks that capture a single point in time without trend context.
For policymakers and payers, that combination of high confidence and low recall raises questions about how well clinical advice is landing in primary care consultations and whether existing counselling time, tools and incentives are sufficient.
What continuous monitoring adds to the picture
“Glucose levels fluctuate throughout the day and are influenced by many factors unique to each individual. Using a CGM device can provide a comprehensive, real-time view of glucose trends, which is especially valuable for those who experience frequent fluctuating glucose levels,” said Sven Seyffert, divisional vice president of Abbott’s diabetes care business for Asia Pacific.
“For example, Abbott’s Libre sensor delivers continuous glucose readings every minute for up to 15 days, which empowers users and healthcare professionals to make more informed, personalised decisions around food and activity– ultimately leading to better diabetes control and outcomes.”
Clinically, continuous glucose monitoring is already embedded in international guidelines, and Malaysian regulators have been expanding room for such technologies within public and private formularies. The policy question now is less whether CGM works than which patient groups should be prioritised and how data from sensors are incorporated into routine care pathways.
| Feature | Finger‑prick self‑monitoring (SMBG) | Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) |
|---|---|---|
| Data capture | Single readings at selected times | Stream of readings across the day and night |
| Trend visibility | Limited; requires multiple checks to infer patterns | Trends and variability visible; supports pattern recognition |
| Context for decisions | Snapshot; harder to link to meals, activity, or stress | Links readings to daily routines and events |
| Burden and access | Low device complexity; consumables required | Sensor and reader/smartphone required; financing and training considerations |
| System implications | Minimal data integration needs | Benefits strengthen when integrated into primary care data flows and education |
As Malaysia updates reimbursement schedules and benefit packages, these trade‑offs between richer data and higher upfront costs are likely to feature in budget hearings and negotiations with insurers and device makers.
Food decisions and festive seasons shape glucose variability
“Malaysians living with diabetes demonstrate a positive level of awareness about how food impacts diabetes,” said Dr Chan Siew Pheng, emeritus professor of endocrine medicine at University of Malaya.
“Food is perhaps the most vital element in glucose variability, so understanding how it impacts glucose is equally important.
“Pairing this awareness with tools like continuous glucose monitoring can help individuals better understand how their bodies respond to different foods, empowering them to make better informed choices and optimise other areas of their life that impact glucose levels, like daily activity, medications and handling emotions like stress.”
- Diet awareness: 85% of respondents recognize the impact of food and regular monitoring on glucose levels; understanding spans all HbA1c groups.
- Dietary shifts: 50% report reducing carbohydrates as a primary strategy after diagnosis.
- Festive challenges: 78% find management easier in non‑festive periods vs 39% during festive times; those using insulin injections report particular difficulty.
- Information sources: Almost 90% turn to social media for diet advice, highlighting the need for accessible, high‑quality education to counter misinformation risks.
The findings point to an opportunity for the health ministry and religious and community leaders to co‑design seasonal campaigns around major festivals, aligning cultural practices, food traditions and medical advice rather than pitching them against each other.
Medication use and physical activity patterns
Beyond food and monitoring technologies, the survey tracks adherence and movement — two levers that are central to national guidelines but harder to enforce than prescribing drugs.
- Adherence: Seven in 10 say they take medications exactly as prescribed.
- Exercise frequency: Only one in five exercise very regularly (five to seven days weekly); those who do tend to have better glucose levels.
- Activity volume: Almost 80% report less than 150 minutes of weekly exercise, aligning with national data that half of adults live a sedentary lifestyle.
For planners, those numbers underscore why clinical protocols alone are not enough: urban design, workplace norms and access to safe public spaces all shape how realistic “150 minutes a week” is for people living with diabetes.
Signals for Malaysia’s health system
The survey intersects with national targets and service delivery realities. Only about 35% of Malaysians with diabetes are meeting the Ministry of Health target of HbA1c ≤6.5, underscoring an implementation gap that extends beyond individual behavior to system design, financing, and workforce capacity.
| Domain | Observed or stated issue | System-level considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Outcomes | Suboptimal long‑term control for a majority of patients | Use program dashboards that combine clinic HbA1c with real‑world monitoring metrics to guide outreach |
| Education | High reliance on social media for diet advice | Scale evidence‑based nutrition education through trusted professionals (dieticians, nurses, primary care teams) |
| Monitoring tools | Predominant finger‑prick use; limited trend data | Procurement and coverage models that enable CGM access for defined groups where trend data can improve care coordination |
| Equity | Festive periods bring sharper management challenges | Targeted, culturally tailored campaigns timed ahead of major festivals; community partnerships for outreach |
| Workforce | Dieticians are highly trusted after doctors | Strengthen multidisciplinary primary care teams; expand capacity for diabetes educators |
| Digital and data | Growing data from sensors and apps | Interoperable data standards, privacy safeguards, and streamlined onboarding for clinics adopting device‑driven workflows |
| Financing | Recurring costs for strips, lancets, or sensors | Benefit design that balances affordability with value, including tiered subsidies and outcomes‑linked procurement |
These are not abstract design questions: they feed directly into how Malaysia allocates its public health budget, how private insurers structure chronic‑disease benefits, and how quickly innovations such as remote monitoring are mainstreamed beyond urban, higher‑income patients.
Key numbers at a glance
- Routine checks: ~90% of respondents monitor glucose regularly.
- HbA1c recall: ~40% do not remember their HbA1c.
- Perceived control: 77% of regular testers unsure of levels still feel they manage well.
- Diet awareness: 85% see clear links between food and glucose; 50% cut carbohydrates post‑diagnosis.
- Festive effect: Management feels easier to 78% in non‑festive times vs 39% during festive periods.
- Medication: 7 in 10 take medicines exactly as prescribed.
- Activity: Only 1 in 5 exercise 5–7 days weekly; nearly 80% do less than 150 minutes per week.
- System target: About 35% meet the national HbA1c goal (≤6.5).
For officials tracking progress against NCD roadmaps, these indicators offer a snapshot of how national objectives translate — or fail to translate — into everyday practice in households.
The policy throughline
For a high‑prevalence condition with lifelong costs, the survey’s message is less about devices in isolation and more about alignment: education that people trust, monitoring that captures trends, and primary care teams resourced to act on timely data. When those elements move together, confidence can better reflect control—and progress can be measured not only in clinic averages but in day‑to‑day stability that matters for health systems and households alike.
Malaysia’s policymakers now face a practical choice: treat CGM, diet education and exercise promotion as separate line‑items, or knit them into a coherent model of community‑based diabetes care with clear responsibilities, financing rules and data flows. The Abbott survey will not settle that debate, but it sharpens the trade‑offs on the table.
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