Everything you can learn from a CGM sensor

A Continuous Glucose Monitor, or a CGM, allows you to track your blood glucose levels at regular intervals, including as often as once every minute. This coin-shaped and sized device is self-installable on the back of the upper arm or on the abdomen. Once activated, unlike with traditional glucometers, it works continuously for 14-days with no need to repeatedly prick one’s fingers to get a glucose reading

A CGM also helps:

• Record overnight blood sugar levels, which often go undetected

• Track glucose levels between meals

• Identify early morning spikes in blood sugar

CGMs were initially developed to improve the ability of doctors to manage the medication of their diabetic patients more effectively, including children with juvenile diabetes.

Increasingly, however, even non-diabetic individuals have begun using these devices to monitor their blood glucose levels to help avoid diabetes. Over time, the proactive management of glucose greatly helps all of us adopt better diet and lifestyle habits and stay healthy.

Additional benefits of CGMs for non-diabetics:

There is no single meal plan that works for everyone because we’re all genetically different. By using a CGM you can learn to eat only what’s right for you, that is the food that causes your blood sugar levels to rise the least, to spike less frequently. This information can help you change what and/or when you eat.

Optimize blood sugar for peak mental or physical performance. Knowing what causes your blood sugar to spike – food, exercise, sleep quality, stress levels – can help you make changes to keep it in an ideal range that may help you perform at your best.

Unless one is born with the disease, going from normoglycemic to diabetic is about a 10-year. The regular use of a CGM allows for earlier diagnosis of prediabetes or diabetes. This could be particularly helpful for people at high risk for diabetes due to family history or other factors, and people taking medicines that can raise blood sugar.

Having more information about your body provides you with the personalized data required to better manage your health, even if you take no immediate action.