Four years ago , my life changed after aheart attack at the age of 33 . While a quick coronary angioplasty meant my heart was mostly fine , the tests conducted at the same time reveal a big chronic job : I ’m a diabetic . Since that diagnosis — which I expected at some point in my life given my family line history of character 2 diabetes — I ’ve work intemperately to commute my life and diet radically , and a continuous glucose monitor ( CGM ) has been instrumental in achieving that .
Unless you ’re an exponent for health technical school or a diabetic like me , you may not have heard of Dexcom or Abbott , the two companies that form an oligopoly in the CGM space . Yet , you ’re plausibly here because you ’ve seen or heard something about the Dexcom Stelo or Abbott Lingo . These grade the first meter a CGM has been wide useable over - the - comeback without a ethical drug , but like all thing that sound too good to be true , surely there ’s a snap ?
After spend two weeks with the Dexcom Stelo , it ’s an incredible product for everyone concerned in diabetes . However , before you rush off to buy one , it ’s deserving noting that it ’s not the most ideally placed if you ’re a diabetic , especially if you ’ve used a previous Dexcom product . Here ’s why .
Why a great CGM is so valuable to diabetics
I hear you inquire , why would you be interested in a CGM ? Ca n’t you just check your pedigree clams via a fingerstick measure ? The answer is yes , you’re able to , but a CGM work out the biggest problem with fingersticks : context .
A finger peg version give you a single shot at that exact here and now in time , but it does n’t say you if your sugar is rising or falling . Crucially , a check first thing in the morning before eating — which is recommended by every doctor — also does n’t ply any entropy on the daylight before .
I noticed during my first few months of finger - sticking that this lack of circumstance mean I was often aline food or medication according to a number that was out of particular date within 15 minute . My first six months as a diabetic only led to a slight drop in my average line of descent sugar despite following all the passport , leading me to research alternative means to track and measure my blood sugar .
A brief look at my CGM history
To realize the linguistic context around my Dexcom Stelo experience , it ’s deserving understand my overall history with CGMs . For many years , U.S. health precaution providers would not cover Dexcom CGMs — mostly because they required two parts and were far more expensive — so like most mass , my first CGM experience was the Freestyle Libre .
First , there was the Freestyle Libre 14 - day , then the Libre 2 , and lastly , the Libre 3 . At the same time , Dexcom was building its own fully integrated CGM solvent , and the terminal result was a game - auto-changer : the Dexcom G7 ( more on this later ) .
Having used a total of five different CGMs , I ’ve mark the key information that matters to long - term diabetes charge , and while the Dexcom Stelo — and Abbott Lingo — offer most of this data , there are minuscule snipping that are missing . It turns out these snippets weigh much more than you might think , but only to people like me . For most people , these over - the - counter CGMs will change their lives , much like CGMs have done so for me .
Why the Dexcom Stelo is great for most people
Before we get into the little things I ’m omit , it ’s worth advert why the Dexcom Stelo will be fantastic for most people . Its essence premise is to offer most of the Dexcom G7 have at a dispirited damage without needing a prescription . It utilise the same ironware and applicator — quite literally from my experience using both — secernate only slightly by software system , packaging , and materials . apparently , it ’s the best of the Dexcom G7 at a considerably lower price , and crucially , without the pauperization for MD or insurance company to be involved .
The latter point is primal : in the U.S. , U.K. , and many other state , it can be elusive to get a CGM under your local health plan unless you have a medical pauperization for it . The Stelo resolves this job , and as someone who travels a lot , we should finally be able-bodied to take the air into pharmacies around the globe and buy an extra sensor with no problem . At least , I trust .
The Stelo app is virtually identical to the G7 app . It allow crucial context on current glucose identification number — synchronise directly from the sensor via Bluetooth every XTC minutes — as well as whether it ’s slew up or down , past historical data , and utilitarian insights . The latter , in particular , sets it aside from the Dexcom G7 in both good and spoiled mode .
The key differences between the Dexcom G7 and Dexcom Stelo
I was very frantic to get stuck into the Dexcom Stelo , as adopt that over the G7 would save me G of dollars each year . It turn out , however , that there are central differences that make the Dexcom Stelo outstanding for most people but make the Dexcom G7 well for my specific needs .
Like most instances , data is only as good as what you do with it . Both CGMs furnish enough contextual information to be useful , but once you apprehend into it , you realise the key deviation : the Dexcom Stelo is a more user - friendly variation of the Dexcom G7 . This means oodles of useful insights on aliment and how glucose go , but it also means many of the feature I bank on do n’t make for either .
Four years after my diagnosis , my blood sugar still spike heavily after meals . I ’ve become customary to mentally keeping an eye on the final high head , but while the G7 admit me to track this to 400 mg / dl or eminent , the Dexcom Stelo is limited to 250 mg / dl . Above this number , it ca n’t leave any more selective information . This does n’t matter to most people — and conform to conventional wiseness about how much your blood sugar should lace two to three hour after a meal — but it does n’t work for my unique context .
Similarly , the Dexcom Stelo does n’t allow you to tailor-make your specific target ranges and instead asks you to choose from two , both of which conform to international wisdom : 70 - 180mg / dl for diabetics or 70 - 140mg / dl for prediabetics or those without diabetes . This suit most people ’s pauperization — and quarry ranges are the best way to track parentage sugar over time — but the ability to further customize the height of the graphical record and see numbers above this arbitrary amount have the Dexcom G7 better at managing diabetes for those with more unstable sugar readings .
There are also no urgent low or urgent gamey - sugar alerts , the former being extremely important to me as my body often goes extremely low overnight when it ’s most grievous to do so . The Stelo alerts also do n’t show the number , prompting you to launch the app to understand . The Dexcom Stelo also lacks the home screen widget for Io and the ability to sync your Apple Watch directly to your CGM sensing element .
The Dexcom Stelo is ideal for all but the nerdiest diabetics
The key reason to bribe the Dexcom Stelo is not just price , although this trifle a handsome part . The Stelo offer splendid information designed to aid you learn more about diabetes , blood shekels , and how to control it .
In many ways , the Stelo offers the utter entry point into diabetes and glucose monitoring , which is expected to blow up considerably over the coming long time . Unlike Abbott Lingo , it also hold back the same terminology used across all of its sensors and solutions , making it far easy to make the jump between the different products .
Dexcom latterly denote an investment and partnership with Oura , and depart next year , theOura Ring 4 will sync your blood - sugar datato help supply a holistic overview of your intact health . This is one of the braggy and most exciting ontogenesis in glucose monitoring for year . Whether you utilise the Dexcom Stelo or opt for the more advanced Dexcom G7 , there ’s never been a good time to get into glucose monitoring . When you do , I highly commend Dexcom .
