USA: Patients alarmed after glucose monitors used by diabetics are recalled after links to 7 deaths

Diabetes patients and their families in the United States are raising concerns, and in some cases filing lawsuits, after Abbott Diabetes Care recalled glucose monitors linked to seven deaths.

In December, Abbott recalled certain sensors used in its FreeStyle Libre 3 and FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus systems, warning they could produce falsely low glucose readings. The company reported 736 serious adverse events potentially tied to the issue, including 57 in the United States, along with seven deaths worldwide.

One person in the US whose death has been linked to the equipment by their family is Michael Ford of Oakland, California, who had Type 2 diabetes. On a November morning, the 68-year-old’s FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensor reportedly issued a low-blood-sugar alert, prompting his son and full-time caregiver, Davonte Ford, to respond.

Trusting the device and following medical guidance, he told NBC News, Davonte Ford gave his father fast-acting carbohydrates to raise his blood sugar – unaware that just eight days later Abbott would issue an urgent warning that about 3 million sensors could produce inaccurate readings. Michael Ford’s death is not included in Abbott’s official count of deaths potentially linked to the equipment, although his sensor came from one of the recalled production lots. Abbott did not list the specific serial number of his device in the recall, leaving families and legal experts concerned that the recall may have overlooked affected devices.

According to a lawsuit Davonte Ford filed last month, the reading displayed on his father’s device that morning was “catastrophically inaccurate.” 

For patients, discovering flaws in devices they rely on can be frightening. Angela Ivery, 71, of Spruce Pine, North Carolina, said she repeatedly went to the emergency room after her Libre 3 sensor falsely indicated low blood sugar, only to find her levels were normal with a traditional finger-stick test, all before receiving a recall notice.

Read full story

Source: The Guardian, 11 March 2026