Dexcom Stelo is the 1st glucose monitor for those with prediabetes condition

About one in three Individuals, or 125 million individuals, are prediabetic or have Sort 2 diabetes. Dexcom‘s Stelo glucose monitor is for these individuals and I’ve discovered it really works fairly effectively. It’s out there immediately as the primary blood sugar monitor for individuals who don’t have diabetes but, no prescription required.

I’ve been sporting the Stelo for a few weeks and makes it simple to know what occurs to your physique whenever you eat meals with quite a lot of carbohydrates or sugar. The biosensor is on the market for buy immediately at Stelo.com for individuals within the U.S. 18 and older not utilizing insulin.

As a substitute of only a one-time check, Stelo supplies an over-the-counter sensor that may gather information 24/7 that exhibits in close to actual time your glucose ranges on an app in your smartphone. The personalised insights can present you the influence of the meals you ate about an hour in the past. With this information, prediabetic individuals perceive what meals, train and sleep can do to their glucose ranges.

Dexcom acquired on my radar again in 2020 after I wrote in regards to the Dexcom 6 sensor. Again then, it was larger and it had a shorter battery life. The march of Moore’s Regulation and different design updates has now made Stelo right into a extra helpful product. However as I famous in 2020, let’s speak a bit about why this issues.

Why blood glucose ranges matter

Again in 2020, you needed to get permission from a health care provider to make use of a Dexcom product, because it was accepted by the Meals and Drug Administration just for use by Sort 1 diabetes sufferers who want to watch their glucose ranges to determine their insulin photographs and management their diabetes signs.

As a tech narcissist, I’ve been for years in how expertise can ship a “quantified self,” or information about myself and the way I reside. Again then, I couldn’t say that the info I had collected to this point, from step counters to sleep displays, had actually taught me something actually helpful — till I attempted out Dexcom’s monitor as a product check, despite the fact that I didn’t have Sort 1 diabetes. It turned out not solely to be a superb well being care story but in addition an amazing information story.

The Dexcom G6 Pro gave me insights into how my physique was behaving second to second, and the way I can take cost and management how I really feel. For me, this was a form of tutorial fascination. However for Ric Peralta, for instance, a 47-year-old man who has been residing with diabetes for 12 years, it makes an enormous distinction in how conveniently he can monitor glucose ranges and handle life-or-death conditions.

This type of perception that we each acquired from information is one thing I’d anticipate to be taught from a Star Trek Tricorder.

Glucose displays measure the extent of sugar in your blood. For diabetic sufferers, that is essential. Diabetes affects tens of millions of Americans and on the time it was the seventh main reason behind dying in america. The normal customary of look after glucose monitoring was a fingerstick meter, which was painful as some sufferers needed to check their blood by pricking their fingers as much as 12 instances a day.

In a affected person with Sort 1 diabetes, the pancreas can’t produce the hormone insulin, which helps the physique take up sugar and take away it out of your bloodstream. For Sort 2 diabetes sufferers, their physique could not have the ability to produce or course of insulin successfully. Both situation means individuals should inject themselves with insulin to take their glucose ranges down. However they will solely do that if they will precisely measure their blood sugar ranges in actual time, one thing that hadn’t been doable or handy till lately.

If somebody like Peralta spikes above their restrict or falls beneath the decrease threshold, they face massive well being dangers. In case your blood sugar is simply too excessive, it may injury your blood vessels. The lows, generally known as hypoglycemia, can result in starvation, trembling, coronary heart racing, nausea, and sweating. It may possibly additionally improve the danger of different issues like coronary heart illness, stroke, nerve issues, and kidney illness. It’s a lethal drawback, presumably resulting in coma or dying. An injection of insulin can head off excessive blood sugar, however Peralta stated that, prior to now, the quantity of insulin to inject was usually a guessing sport.

The Dexcom G6 was fairly non-invasive. A nurse confirmed me the best way to connect it to the left facet of my stomach (now it goes beneath your bicep). There was a tiny pin prick after I activated the system, which poked a needle into my pores and skin. After that, I couldn’t really feel it anymore. The monitor itself was a bit over an inch lengthy and it was glued to my pores and skin. I used to be in a position to put on it for 10 days and take showers with it. It robotically uploaded the measurements of my blood sugar in actual time to my iPhone. It by no means fell off.

I used to be astounded to be taught that consuming a giant pile of spaghetti was one of many issues that would push my blood sugar stage off the charts and even put me above the 180 milligrams per deciliter threshold that docs thought-about to be excessive. Once more, I used to be extra in a prediabetes state. I didn’t have Sort 2 diabetes, which you will get in case your pancreas ceases to perform correctly over time and doesn’t present sufficient insulin to take the glucose out of your blood. In case you don’t appropriate your food plan, somebody with prediabetes can transfer right into a Sort 2 diabetes state with extreme well being penalties.

In case your blood sugar drops too low, as it may for athletes, you could end up out of power and unable to have interaction in bodily exertion.

Stelo’s improvements

With Stelo, monitoring glucose simply acquired simpler, with no prescription and no fingersticks wanted. It’s particularly designed to assist individuals with Sort 2 diabetes not utilizing insulin and people with prediabetes
attain their A1c targets and probably sluggish the development of diabetes.

Stelo is a small biosensor worn on the again of the higher arm that leverages Dexcom’s most correct glucose sensing expertise. It’s particularly designed to supply the 125 million Individuals with Sort 2 diabetes not utilizing insulin and people with prediabetes with highly effective, personalised glucose insights.

“Dexcom has been on the forefront of glucose biosensing for 25 years. With the launch of Stelo, we’re defining a brand-new class and as soon as once more setting the gold customary for individuals to simply take management of their well being,” stated Jake Leach, govt vice chairman and chief working officer at Dexcom, in a press release. “Now, tens of millions extra have entry to 24/7, easy-to-understand glucose insights that may inform their each day life-style decisions and assist conduct modification.”

The advantages of glucose biosensing have been proven when used alone, or alongside different diabetes and weight administration drugs. Research present using Dexcom glucose biosensing by individuals with Sort 2 diabetes is related to clinically significant enchancment in time in vary, A1c and high quality of life.

“Dexcom glucose biosensors are a necessary and confirmed software for diabetes administration – driving robust medical outcomes no matter treatment use9 and even probably slowing the development of diabetes,” stated Thomas Grace, MD, head of medical advocacy and outcomes at Dexcom. “In a world the place GLP-1 use is turning into more and more extra frequent, glucose biosensors like Stelo may help make these drugs simpler.”

Key options of Stelo

You prick your pores and skin whenever you connect a Stelo sensor beneath your higher arm. However there aren’t any fingersticks, ever. It’s the one over-the-counter glucose biosensor designed for individuals with diabetes that doesn’t require any fingersticks.

You’ll be able to put on it as much as 15 days, and it’swaterproof. It has the longest biosensor battery life available on the market with the best waterproof score. This is much better than the ten days that the sensors lasted within the Dexcom 6 era, which was aimed solely at individuals who had diabetes as a prescription.

It has a personalised, easy-to-use app. Offers each day, weekly and session abstract insights that may assist
type more healthy habits.

And it has spike and sample detection. The one over-the-counter glucose biosensor for individuals with diabetes that includes spike detection, designed to determine significant glucose variability because it occurs so customers could make knowledgeable adjustments. It takes about an hour for meals to hit your bloodstream, and when it does, Stelo detects the spike in glucose which might be dangerous for diabetics. Every time I ate a carb-heavy or sugar-ladened meal, my blood sugar spiked and I acquired a notification from Stelo.

The system has confirmed outcomes with Dexcom glucose sensors: Utilizing Dexcom glucose sensors like Stelo helps decrease A1c for individuals with Sort 2 diabetes and should assist sluggish the development of diabetes. Solely
Dexcom glucose sensors have been related to vital enhancements in glucose and
cardiovascular threat discount measures as early as three months.

Easy ordering, delivered on to your door

Stelo improves entry to essential well being expertise for individuals with Sort 2 diabetes not utilizing insulin and people with prediabetes who won’t have insurance coverage protection for prescription glucose biosensors. Stelo is presently out there for buy within the U.S. at Stelo.com and is FSA and HSA eligible.

You’ll be able to pay as you go, because it prices $99 for a single pack of two sensors (complete put on time as much as 30 days). It’s also possible to pay for a month-to-month subscription the place you subscribe and save 10%. You pay $89 per 30 days for an ongoing subscription, with two sensors (complete put on time as much as 30 days) delivered each 30 days.

Stelo is now a part of Dexcom’s total portfolio of glucose biosensors, with a person base of greater than 2.5 million individuals globally. The Dexcom portfolio within the U.S. consists of the Dexcom G6 and Dexcom G7 Steady Glucose Monitoring Methods, and now Stelo, collectively designed to handle the wants of individuals with all forms of diabetes and prediabetes.

Every product within the portfolio is constructed for the individuals who use them, making it simpler than ever for healthcare suppliers to get sufferers began with the glucose biosensor greatest for them. Dexcom G6 and Dexcom G7 are designed for individuals with diabetes utilizing insulin or who’re susceptible to hypoglycemia and who’ve insurance coverage protection for glucose biosensors.

Each methods require a prescription and are reimbursed by 97% of economic insurers within the U.S., Medicare nationally and Medicaid in most states.5 Stelo is designed for adults with Sort 2 diabetes not utilizing insulin or prediabetes who search conduct change and optimized well being and who do not need
insurance coverage protection for glucose biosensors.

San Diego, California-based Dexcom’s monitor lets when a glucose spike exterior of your regular band occurs within the second. That lets you regulate your habits and make knowledgeable adjustments.

The app additionally has exercise, meal and sleep logging. You’ll be able to simply observe your glucose to disclose how meals,
train and even sleep can have an effect on your glucose ranges. The app additionally comes with expert-curated data, sensible suggestions, and galvanizing steering. It really works with iOS and Android smartphones, in addition to Apple Watch and health-tracking apps.

Utilizing the Stelo

I’ve had a Stelo in my arm for a few weeks. As famous, it doesn’t damage whenever you embed it into your pores and skin after which tape it tight so it doesn’t fall off. Since I’m in a close to prediabetes state, the Dexcom people beneficial I maintain the band slim when it comes to the band the place it says I ought to keep.

So my regular vary was 70 mg/dL to 140 mg/dL when it comes to my glucose depend. I began to journey simply as I wore it and so it captured my life as I began to eat extra carbs (usually I keep away from them) whereas on the highway. Nearly each meal was pushing me above the band, leading to “glucose spikes” when it comes to mg/dL depend. It was commonly going above 140 with every meal, with the outcomes exhibiting up about an hour after I ate.

With the app, I might categorize the meals that pushed my glucose increased, and I might be taught to keep away from them over time so as to maintain my physique within the beneficial vary. This provides me extra information for regulating my physique alone, and fodder for a dialog with the physician. I’m trying ahead to seeing extra of what it’ll do after I train so much and drive my blood sugar decrease — however not too low.

Anyway, In case you’re in want of extra clear details about your self and are in a prediabetic state, I counsel you think about getting one in all these.

Disclosure: Dexcom supplied me with a Stelo sensor to check the product.