A Comprehensive Guide to Continuous Glucose Monitors

Wellness technology continues to evolve as more and more people want to take control of their health. Continuous glucose monitors (CGMS) are a type of wearable technology that measures glucose levels so you can make informed decisions about lifestyle choices. 

Initially designed for individuals living with diabetes, CGMs are now available over the counter and have become popular among those interested in using personalized information to better understand their bodies' responses to food, exercise, and stress. 

This comprehensive guide will explore continuous glucose monitors and how they can benefit your overall health and wellness.

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What are CGMs and What Do They Do?

Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) are devices that continuously track your glucose (blood sugar) levels. CGMs stay on the body and use a small filament sensor inserted under the skin to measure glucose in the interstitial fluid.¹

The sensor is usually worn on the upper arm (or sometimes the abdomen) and transmits data to a receiver or a smartphone app, giving you access to real-time glucose readings. 

By providing continuous, 24-hour data, CGMs offer valuable, personalized insights into how different foods, activities, and stress levels affect glucose levels. You can use this information to help you make informed decisions about your lifestyle choices and how they may affect your metabolic health.

Are CGMs the Same as Finger Sticks?

While both CGMs and traditional finger stick tests measure glucose levels, they do so in different ways. Finger sticks require a small blood sample to measure blood glucose at a single point in time. In contrast, CGMs provide continuous data by measuring glucose in the interstitial fluid outside cells and blood vessels.

Both finger sticks and CGMS have their benefits. Finger sticks offer a quick and inexpensive way to measure glucose levels, while CGMs provide continuous data without the need for multiple finger sticks throughout the day. Instead of only testing blood sugar once or twice a day, CGMs offer insight into daily patterns you may otherwise miss.²

<div class="pro-tip"><strong>Also Read: </strong><a href=cgm-vs-fingerstick-glucometers>Cgm vs Finger Sticks: Which Is More Accurate?</a></a>.</div>

Types of CGMs Available

There are several types of CGMS available with a prescription made by companies such as:³

• Dexcom 
• Freestyle Libre
• Medtronic
• Eversence

More recently, over-the-counter CGMs were approved for use in the U.S. (meaning you can purchase these directly without a prescription), making this technology more accessible to everyone:⁴

• Dexcom Stelo
• Abbott Lingo
• Libre RIO (not available yet, but should be available before the end of 2024) 

Each of these CGMs has unique features and capabilities, but one of the most important considerations is whether you can interpret the data it provides. Some CGMS are more user-friendly and offer better support for data interpretation, whereas others may require more knowledge and technical know-how.

How Can CGMs Help People Without Diabetes?

Anyone can benefit from using a CGM. Blood glucose rises and falls throughout the day in response to food, stress, and movement. When glucose rises, the body releases insulin from the pancreas to move the sugar out of the blood and into cells.

Fluctuations in blood sugar are expected, and the body is designed to respond and bring glucose into a healthy range quickly. But sometimes, blood sugar spikes higher than it should or remains high for longer, putting you at risk for weight gain, insulin resistance, diabetes, and other health problems.⁵ 

Recognizing glucose patterns with information from a CGM can help you identify if your blood sugar spikes or remains elevated longer than it should, allowing you to adjust accordingly.

Here are some ways that a CGM can help people without diabetes:

• Personalized food guidance for weight management: A CGM can help you identify how individual foods impact your blood sugar, acting as a real-time motivator to help you identify how food portions, food timing, and types of food affect your body. This, in turn, allows you to tailor your diet to your needs.¹

• Chronic disease prevention: CGMs can lead to an awareness of potential issues with metabolic health before they become a problem. It’s estimated that one in three US adults has prediabetes (when blood sugar is high but not high enough to be diagnosed with diabetes, but many people aren’t aware. Prediabetes is a precursor to type 2 diabetes, but adjusting lifestyle habits can help prevent it from progressing.

Some research suggests that seeing health data from a CGM increases the desire and motivation to make behavior changes that can reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes.¹

• Athletic performance: For athletes, understanding glucose patterns can help tailor nutrition and training regimens to enhance performance and recovery. There’s not enough research yet to suggest a specific glucose range that corresponds to better performance, but using a CGM can help you learn more specifics about what types of carbohydrates support blood sugar levels for different types of training (endurance versus high-interesting, for example).⁶

What Affects the Data from CGMs?

Blood sugar is primarily influenced by diet, but other factors can also affect glucose readings. 

• Stress hormones can increase blood glucose levels. For example, cortisol increases blood sugar by stimulating the body to release stored glucose.⁷
• Sleep patterns also play a role in glucose regulation. Poor sleep can disrupt metabolic processes and increase cortisol, leading to irregular glucose levels.⁸ 
• Exercise: Physical activity lowers blood sugar by making your muscle cells more sensitive to insulin. You may also see your blood sugar increase after high-intensity exercise as it temporarily increases stress hormones.⁹ 

Interpreting CGM Data 

While data from a CGM is interesting, it’s only helpful if you understand how to interpret it and use it to make positive changes. As mentioned, it’s normal for your blood sugar to rise and fall, but how much it increases and stays higher (or out of range) is worth a second look. 

Your body’s blood sugar variations can also look different than someone else’s. For example, your blood sugar may spike when you eat oatmeal, while your family member notices minimal impacts. What matters is understanding your response.

Working with a healthcare professional like a registered dietitian can help you interpret the data to optimize your health. They can help you understand precisely how and why lifestyle factors impact your blood sugar and offer guidance on where you can make adjustments.

The Signos app with the Dexcom CGM is another way to obtain professional guidance about your health data. With the app, you’ll receive timely, personalized feedback and support with in-app nutritionists, workout tracking, tips for meal timing, impact predictions, and more. 

Takeaway

CGMs offer a powerful way to understand your body's glucose levels and make informed health decisions. Whether you're a health enthusiast looking to optimize your diet or an athlete seeking performance insights, CGMs provide valuable data to support your goals. 

Combining CGMs with professional feedback can help you develop personalized health strategies that impact your long-term health. With this information, you can feel empowered to make lasting positive changes.

<div class="pro-tip"><strong>Learn More: </strong><a href=questions-to-ask-cgm-provider>10 Questions to Ask Your Cgm Provider</a>.</div>