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

As a wearables reviewer, each morning I roll over, pull out my telephone, and examine 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 considered one of three FDA-cleared over-the-counter CGMs. (The opposite two are from Abbott.) Sometimes, CGMs have been utilized by Kind 1 diabetics — those that produce little to no insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar — to observe their situation. The Stelo, nevertheless, is geared toward Kind 2 diabetics, particularly those that don’t depend on insulin. Not like Kind 1, Kind 2 diabetes develops over time because the physique turns into extra insulin resistant. Whereas some Kind 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 might theoretically assist individuals with Kind 2 get to manageable ranges the place they don’t must take medicine. For prediabetics, it might even assist them reverse their situation. In these use instances, a CGM could possibly be a nifty instrument for studying how sure meals or train affect glucose ranges.

The catch is CGMs usually aren’t coated by medical insurance for those who don’t take insulin, making them too costly for the common particular person. Once 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 might have two choices. You possibly can pay $99 for a single pack of two sensors (30 day provide). Or, you can pay a month-to-month $89 subscription and have two sensors delivered each month. The units are additionally HSA and FSA eligible.

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

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

That’s not essentially egregious, as this isn’t designed for Kind 1 diabetics, however it’s not nice. I additionally wished it was simpler to log my meals. Lately 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 deciphering my glucose information. (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 strategy to view your each day historic information long-term. If I need to present my physician a sample of how my glucose spikes after sure workout routines, I’ve to take a screenshot that day. I’m additionally undecided whether or not my numbers are good. Whereas I managed to spend about 95 p.c of the time in my beneficial vary, my common glucose stage is greater than what it was whereas testing Nutrisense final yr. I’ve additionally been mildly involved at what number of glucose spikes I’ve had that don’t have an apparent clarification like high-intensity train or a carb-heavy meal.

I’ve since scheduled a health care provider’s appointment to get my blood sugar examined. It’s private for me. My dad had Kind 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 information 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. Pace 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 so far, I can see how utilizing Stelo, in live performance with a health care provider, could possibly be useful for individuals with prediabetes and Kind 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, regardless that we’ve but to show whether or not this can be a worthy use for CGMs. We’ll must see the place this goes, however on the very least, I respect that Dexcom has stored its concentrate on the individuals who might most profit from this tech — and at a extra accessible worth.