The over-the-counter CGMs are there-but do they really make sense for non-diabetics?

Continuous glucose monitors are no longer only for people with diabetes. In March of last year, Dexcom obtained an authorization from the FDA for its over -the -counter CGM, then a few months later, its main competitor Abbott won the authorization for two over -the -counter CGM devices.

The FDA has erased these over -the -counter CGMs for use in people with diabetes and without diabetes, but questions remain on how clinicians and individuals can interpret the data that these devices collect. To explore what CGM data really means outside of diabetes care, the researchers of the mass general Brigham in Boston conducted a study. The results, published this week, have revealed that CGM readings align well with standard measures in people with diabetes but are less reliable in those without condition.

The study examined the data of 972 people aged 40 and over. In this group, 421 people had type 2 diabetes, 319 had a prediabetes and 232 had normal blood sugar.

The researchers noted that, although CGM measures such as average glucose and time in the beach corresponded closely to standard measures for people with diabetes, these same measures were less consistent for those with a normal prediabetes or blood sugar.

These results suggest that CGMs can be the most useful for following short -term lifestyle effects rather than providing a definitive clinical image, said Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, internal medicine doctor in mass general Brigham and one of the study authors.

He noted that CGMs can help people see how life factors such as food, activity and sleep affect glucose in real time.

Dr. Rodriguez said he had witnessed this first-hand issue, having himself worn an over-the-counter CGM and having never been diagnosed with diabetes or prediabetes.

“There was one day when I ate a soup. I thought I was healthy having a soup. Then it turns out that the soup had rice noodles. I did not know that these rice noodles were just going to drive my sugar – and it was for a while. For any reason, I did not register that it was not a great thing to eat from a glycemic point of view. It was a learning point for me, “he said.

He stressed that additional research is necessary on CGMs focused on consumers.

The study of the mass general Brigham was transversal, which means that the research team collected the data of the participants at a given time rather than following them for months or years. Dr. Rodriguez said clinicians need more longitudinal research before understanding whether CGM models in non -diabetic patients can predict long -term results such as diabetes, heart disease or brain vascular accidents.

Photo: Yana Iskayeva, Getty Images