blood glucose Archives - Medical Design Sourcing

Dexcom G6 transmitter

As an early adopter of fitness trackers such as the FitBit, I’ve long appreciated the power of health data. But my recent experience with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) has done far more to inspire me to look after my health — even as a nondiabetic.

I had heard about the potential of such technology before from the cardiologist Dr. Eric Topol, who serves on the board of Dexcom (NASDAQ:DXCM), and the entrepreneur Tim Ferriss, who has discussed using the technology as a non-diabetic to optimize weight loss and muscle gain.

But I have only recently had the chance to evaluate CGM as part of Dexcom’s “Hello Dexcom” sample program that enables patients to try out the company’s G6 CGM at no cost. The goal of the program is to increase awareness among healthcare providers and consumers.

Get the full story from our sister site, Drug Delivery Business.

G6 applicator image from Dexcom

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) are among the most potent diabetes management tools to emerge in recent decades.

FDA approved the first professional CGM in 1999, and the technology has evolved swiftly since then. Current models beam data via Bluetooth to smartphones (plus the Apple Watch) and the cloud, enabling patients to explore their blood glucose readings in an app or via downloadable PDFs.

“Decades ago, we were still checking urine sugars,” said Dr. Egils Bogdanovics, a Connecticut-based endocrinologist. “In the early 1980s, fingerstick blood glucose monitors came out. That was a big deal — a revolution in diabetes,” Bogdanovics recalled.

Get the full story from our sister site, Drug Delivery Business.

blood glucose

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How continuous glucose monitors have transformed the diabetes landscape