Historically, checking your blood glucose (blood sugar) level required pricking your finger and dropping blood onto a test strip. People with diabetes may have had to do this multiple times a day because the disease can cause blood sugar levels to get too high, which can be dangerous in many ways.
However, with the advent of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) in the late 1990s, finger pricks became less common. A CGM is a wearable medical device that works by measuring blood sugar levels in real time with a small, removable sensor (placed just under the skin) and sending an alert when it falls outside of the target range.
Initially, CGM was prescription-only and reserved for patients with type 1 diabetes. In type 1 diabetes, the body does not produce insulin, an important hormone that moves glucose from the blood to cells, where its energy is used for various functions. But over the years, as the number of people with type 2 diabetes (in which the body produces less insulin than necessary or has developed resistance to insulin) has increased, insurance coverage has expanded and people with type 2 diabetes CGMs are increasingly being prescribed to patients who require insulin therapy.
However, this leaves finger pricks as the only option for people with type 2 diabetes who are not taking insulin or those with prediabetes (a condition in which blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes). Not done. This is to monitor blood sugar levels.
That all changed this spring when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first over-the-counter (OTC) CGM. This new CGM, called the Dexcom Stelo Glucose Biosensor System, is intended for people age 18 and older with type 2 diabetes (but not taking insulin) or prediabetes. (The Stelo system is not suitable for people with hypoglycemia, a condition characterized by low blood sugar.)
Monitoring blood sugar levels is very important for diabetics because high blood sugar levels can cause permanent damage to the eyes, nerves, kidneys, blood vessels, and other parts of the body over time. is. CGM allows you to adjust your diet, medications, and activity levels to prevent dangerous increases or decreases in blood sugar levels.
The OTC Stelo CGM is essentially the same in terms of offerings and accuracy as the prescription-based CGM sold by Dexcom. Also, similar to prescription CGMs, users can sync the OTC version with their smartphones to receive readings.
Since the approval of the Stelo system, other CGMs have received approval for over-the-counter sales, including the Abbott Libre Rio system.