Continuous Ketone Monitoring: A New Paradigm for Physiologic Monitoring

In this issue of JDST, Alva and colleagues present for the first time, development of a continuous ketone monitor (CKM) tested both in vitro and in humans. Their sensor measured betahydroxybutyrate (BHB) in interstitial fluid (ISF). The sensor was based on wired enzyme electrochemistry technology using BHB dehydrogenase. The sensor required only a single retrospective calibration without a need for further adjustments over 14 days. The device produced a linear response over the 0-8 mM range with good accuracy. This novel CKM could provide a new dimension of useful automatically collected information for managing diabetes. Passively collected ISF ketone information would be useful for predicting and managing ketoacidosis in patients with type 1 diabetes, as well as other states of abnormal ketonemia. Although additional studies of this CKM will be required to assess performance in intended patient populations and prospective factory calibration will be required to support real time measurements, this novel monitor has the potential to greatly improve outcomes for people with diabetes. In the future, a CKM might be integrated with a continuous glucose monitor in the same sensor platform.