There have always been trendy health gadgets. The ankle pedometer evolved into the Fitbit; the Fitbit gave way to the Apple Watch. Trends come and go.
Knowing your blood sugar numbers is an essential factor of health for people with blood sugar concerns. You must know how your body reacts to foods and habits to know how to take care of yourself and make healthy choices. Continuous glucose monitors (CGM) that constantly track blood sugar can help people learn about their bodies and reach their goals.
Last year, an over-the-counter CGM was approved. Since then, people without blood sugar concerns have also been monitoring their blood sugar. As of September, almost 2.4 million people were using them in the U.S.
“People without [blood sugar concerns] like to wear these to see what happens to their glucose after certain things they eat or after their exercise,” said Prof. Irl Hirsch of UW.
An OTC CGM costs $100 to $300 a month. If you have blood sugar concerns, the information it provides may be invaluable, and the cost may be worth it. Plus, you may be eligible for one at a lower cost with a prescription. But is it worth it for people without a blood sugar concern? Or is it just the latest expensive but largely meaningless trend?
CGM can tell everyone, regardless of whether or not they have blood sugar concerns, about their metabolic reaction to food. Knowing how food impacts the body can help everyone make healthier choices to manage their weight and health. However, doctors point out that they weren’t designed for people without blood sugar concerns. CGMs might not be as accurate for their physiology. And people might become unnecessarily stressed about getting “perfect” numbers and restrict their food in an unhealthy way.
“I look at it as TMI ... especially for these average Joes who are doing it because it’s a fad,” said Dr. Liz Applegate of UC Davis.
NYU Langone endocrinologist Michael Natter said, “There are definitely pros and cons to making a nonprescription form of this device available.”
He pointed out that CGMs can act as accidental diagnostic tools. A person who believes they don’t have blood sugar concerns can try one out only to learn that they have an issue. But, on the other hand, he said they can make people with normal fluctuations unnecessarily worried. He recommended that if people want to try them, they gather the data and have their doctor interpret it rather than doing it themselves.
