Dexcom Stelo hands-on: an OTC gadget within the warfare in opposition to diabetes

As a wearables reviewer, each morning I roll over, pull out my telephone, and verify my sleep stats. However that’s modified within the final 14 days. As an alternative, I’ve been checking my glucose ranges. That’s as a result of on the underside of my left arm is a Dexcom Stelo steady glucose monitor (CGM). Some days, I’m relieved by what I see. Different days, I’m wondering if I ought to name my physician.

The Stelo is exclusive in that it’s one among three FDA-cleared over-the-counter CGMs. (The opposite two are from Abbott.) Usually, CGMs have been utilized by Sort 1 diabetics — those that produce little to no insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar — to watch their situation. The Stelo, nevertheless, is aimed toward Sort 2 diabetics, particularly those that don’t depend on insulin. In contrast to Sort 1, Sort 2 diabetes develops over time because the physique turns into extra insulin resistant. Whereas some Sort 2 diabetics depend on insulin, the overwhelming majority handle their blood sugar with way of life modifications and oral medicine.

The pitch of OTC CGMs like Stelo is they may theoretically assist folks with Sort 2 get to manageable ranges the place they don’t must take medicine. For prediabetics, it may even assist them reverse their situation. In these use instances, a CGM might be a nifty device for studying how sure meals or train affect glucose ranges.

The catch is CGMs usually aren’t coated by medical insurance if you happen to don’t take insulin, making them too costly for the typical particular person. After I met with Dexcom in January, its COO Jake Leach emphasised that Stelo could be extra accessible. And it’s, although some people will nonetheless discover it pricy. With Stelo, you will have two choices. You possibly can pay $99 for a single pack of two sensors (30 day provide). Or, you could possibly pay a month-to-month $89 subscription and have two sensors delivered each month. The gadgets are additionally HSA and FSA eligible.

Stelo works equally to Nutrisense, a CGM-based platform I examined final 12 months for non-diabetics trying to optimize their metabolic well being. There’s an app that guides you although inserting the CGM. (It’s simple and surprisingly painless.) Relying on whether or not you determine as a Sort 2 diabetic, somebody with prediabetes, or a non-diabetic, you’ll be given a really helpful goal glucose vary. After a roughly 30 minute calibration interval, you possibly can view your real-time glucose ranges within the app. Stelo additionally integrates with iOS and Android’s well being APIs, so you possibly can sync your train and sleep knowledge. You too can manually log your meals. In case your glucose spikes, you’ll get an alert despatched to your telephone.

General, I discovered Stelo simple to make use of. The info is stored comparatively streamlined, with out a lot visible muddle. Nonetheless, it does require a level of vigilance. I’ve had a handful of glucose spikes previously two weeks, however the alerts don’t come by means of on my telephone till 20-60 minutes later. (You possibly can watch spikes occur nearer to real-time, nevertheless, if you happen to regularly monitor the app. It’s simply not all the time sensible.)

That’s not essentially egregious, as this isn’t designed for Sort 1 diabetics, however it’s not nice. I additionally wished it was simpler to log my meals. Nowadays I’ve been monitoring my macros in one other app, so it might’ve been good to simply import that data into the Stelo app. As an alternative, I needed to cross reference and manually log every little thing twice.

However what would’ve been most useful is additional perception into decoding my glucose knowledge. (Fast notice: I’ve been testing a pre-release model of the app so not every little thing was because it’ll be within the ultimate product.) There’s no technique to view your every day historic knowledge long-term. If I wish to present my physician a sample of how my glucose spikes after sure workouts, I’ve to take a screenshot that day. I’m additionally unsure whether or not my numbers are good. Whereas I managed to spend about 95 % of the time in my really helpful vary, my common glucose degree is larger than what it was whereas testing Nutrisense final 12 months. I’ve additionally been mildly involved at what number of glucose spikes I’ve had that don’t have an apparent rationalization like high-intensity train or a carb-heavy meal.

I’ve since scheduled a physician’s appointment to get my blood sugar examined. It’s private for me. My dad had Sort 2 diabetes and I’ve polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal situation that may improve insulin resistance. Ostensibly, that is the Stelo working because it ought to. I, an individual with the next threat of growing diabetes, noticed a regarding pattern in my knowledge and now I’m proactively going to seek the advice of with a medical skilled about it.

I’ve my quibbles with the Stelo app, however it’s nonetheless very early days and that is an rising class. Velocity bumps are to be anticipated. I plan to check the Stelo additional, and I’m curious to see how my dialog with my physician will go. Even so, from my time up to now, I can see how utilizing Stelo, in live performance with a physician, might be useful for folks with prediabetes and Sort 2 diabetes. What’s much less clear is how the remainder of the market will glom onto extra broadly accessible CGMs. Sometimes, I see wellness influencers peddling CGM use for weight reduction and to “repair” metabolic well being. A number of startups exist based mostly round that premise, though now we have but to show whether or not it is a worthy use for CGMs. We’ll must see the place this goes, however on the very least, I admire that Dexcom has stored its concentrate on the individuals who may most profit from this tech — and at a extra accessible worth.