What’s driving your Time in Range? (It’s the algorithm!)

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends spending at least 70% of your time in this range¹ — and for good reason. More time in range means less time dealing with the physical and emotional weight of glucose highs and lows. It helps lead to more energy, clearer thinking, and fewer interruptions to the moments that matter most. 

Simply put, better Time in Range means better days.

What actually impacts your TIR?

Here's where things get interesting and maybe a little surprising. New clinical data has been published that answered a question that many people living with diabetes have quietly wondered: if I switch sensors, will my outcomes change?

The answer: not much.

The answer, backed by both clinical trial data and real-world evidence from thousands of users, tells us something important about what's really running the show.

What the data showed

A randomized crossover study published^† in Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics² followed MiniMed^TM 780G system users who switched between two different sensors: the Simplera Sync^TM sensor and the Instinct sensor, made by Abbott.

The results were nearly identical.

No meaningful difference. 

No tradeoffs.

Both results far exceeded the ADA's recommended goal of greater than 70% TIR.

Real-world^† evidence told the same story. An analysis of more than 20,000 MiniMed^TM 780G system users in the United States who transitioned from the Guardian^TM 4 sensor to the Instinct sensor showed stable results.³ Most importantly, MiniMed^TM 780G users spent more time benefiting from automation, some reaching 80.5% among those using recommended settings. 

The system matters more than the sensor

Two different sensors. 

The same strong outcomes. 

What stayed constant across both? SmartGuard^TM technology.

Think of it this way: your sensor is the messenger. It reads your glucose levels and delivers that information to the system. But your algorithm is the decision-maker. Every 5 minutes, it's evaluating that data, anticipating where your glucose is headed, and automatically adjusting your insulin delivery to keep you in range.^‡

Takeaway

Sensor choice all comes down to just preference. If you ever wondered how changing your sensor would affect your glucose levels, there’s now clinical evidence to tell you that sensor choice doesn’t impact it in any meaningful way if integrated as part of a system with SmartGuard^TM technology doing the driving. 

What helps drive your Time in Range most is the system algorithm.

At MiniMed, we build every part of our system — the algorithm, the pump, the sensor, and the app — to work together as one. Not because it's a nice idea, but because the data shows it's what drives real outcomes for real people.

Footnotes
† Due to inherent study limitations, caution is advised when attempting to extrapolate these results to new patients. There could be significant differences.
‡ Refers to SmartGuard™ technology. Individual results may vary.

References
1. https://diatribe.org/diabetes-management/time-range
2. Laron-Hirsch, M., et al. Glycemic concordance of Simplera Sync™ and Instinct™ sensors in MiniMed™ 780G system users: A randomized crossover feasibility study. Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics. DOI: 10.1177/15209156261449884.          
3. MiniMed data on file: MiniMed 780G data uploaded voluntarily by 20,245 eligible users to CareLink Personal, from 11 October 2023 to 30 April 2026. 8,558 users were using recommended settings (glucose target at 100 mg/dL (5.5 mmol/L) and Active Insulin Time (AIT) at 2 hours).