For years, people with diabetes have used continuous glucose monitors. Now they’re available over-the-counter without for anyone looking for extra insight into their health. News4’s Erika Gonzalez reports.
More people are using wearable glucose monitors as the appetite for personalized health data grows beyond smartwatches and fitness trackers.
For years, people with diabetes have used continuous glucose monitors, or CGMs, to track their blood sugar levels. Now they’re available over-the-counter without a prescription for anyone looking for extra insight into their health.
D.C.-area native Shannon Menezes, 28, is a doctor in training who tested out the latest wellness trend.
"The endocrinologist that I worked with recommended us trying a continuous glucose monitor, even though we don't have diabetes, just to kind of understand the challenges and some of the pros and cons of these monitors that we're recommending to patients," she said.
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The wearable device is small at about the size of a quarter. Once the applicator sticks to the skin, it gets to work and a tiny sensor tracks glucose levels in real time. Results go straight to the user's smartphone or watch.
If blood sugar levels dip too low or spike too high, the monitor sends an alert.
Menezes said she was surprised by some of her readings.
Health
"I drink a lot of sweetened coffee. So, I would have super high spikes with my espressos and macchiatos and Frappuccinos, and so those really shocked me," she said.
"It would go higher than 200. And so and when you set the CGM to a certain level, and then it passes that threshold, it starts beeping," Menezes said.
"The normal reading should be anywhere between 70 to 180 for the level of the glucose in the blood," said Dr. Julie Chen, an internal medicine physician at Kaiser Permanente.
"And the patient can visually view minute-to-minute what's happening as a response in the body to them taking in any types of particular foods."
Chen said more and more health-conscious patients are trying out the technology to understand how not just food, but stress, exercise, medications and sleep affect them.
"They might be really surprised that not only the sugary sweet foods like desserts are causing the spike in blood sugar, but also carbohydrate-rich foods just like bread or pasta, have caused, such a high spike in their blood sugar that it makes them realize that these foods are not really healthy for them to be eating on a regular basis," Chen said.
Prices start at about $50 for the device. It lasts about two weeks before it falls off.
"I ended up wearing it for a total of an entire month," Menezes said.
Chen said the benefits far outweigh the risks, but there are some drawbacks.
"Of course, the excess anxiety associated with spikes in blood sugar when someone doesn't have the knowledge to really understand how the body is regulating the glucose, may cause a person to be unnecessarily worried about their health," she said.
Menezes said it was a positive experience for her and one she’ll recommend to patients.
"It makes you more aware of certain foods that you're putting in or certain triggers in your day-to-day lifestyle," Menezes said. "Then, once you are aware, I think it's important to take the next steps into trying to track down the nutrients that you're eating, trying to see what you're putting in your body and then making sure that you are not necessarily avoiding certain foods or having a restrictive diet, but being more conscientious."
Information the continuous glucose monitors collect is private and protected by HIPAA laws.
Chen said there’s no way anyone can access your information unless a patient voluntarily shares it with their physician.
