Continual glucose monitors

Yes, I just finished the blood glucose monitoring bit last week and am waiting for their feedback.

I often saw rises in blood glucose around getting up time from a low overnight despite not having yet eaten. I assumed this was prompted by the hormone glucagon causing release of glucose from my liver as I showed signs of morning activity. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glucagon

However IANAD or a biochemist.

I should try the Zoe programme..

I wore one (well, 2 actually as first fell off) as i got them free from the drug rep. Things i learnt:
It really hurt ME to put them on. Others in the group felt nothing.
they come off quite easly if you 'do things', so I advise active pateints to buy the aftermarket plaster cover thing..
My blood surag spikes are terrifying!!!

DrP

It really hurt ME to put them on. Others in the group felt nothing.

I find mine a bit irritating, feels like I want to scratch it. My wife is totally fine with hers...

The Zoe one comes with a massive sticker to cover it (like 4" wide).

Good they give a sticker... I can see the Drug company (Lilly I think) offering a sticker in the pack, cos if it falls off, THEY supply the replacement.. they're about £45 each, so i can't see them wanting to carry that on for too long.

DrP

My blood surag spikes are terrifying!!!

lolz

- Tomhoward 31 years T1D

Interested in this, so following.

I did their questionnaire and I should be a shoe in for the the CGM, but it's one of those annoying sales things where you can't actually find out how much the bloody thing is. Please can one of you tell me?

I did their questionnaire and I should be a shoe in for the the CGM, but it’s one of those annoying sales things where you can’t actually find out how much the bloody thing is. Please can one of you tell me?

Different options: https://joinzoe.com/plans/choose-plan-58421?country=GB

We signed up last Nov and the kits arrived last week. I *think* we paid for 4 months - so something like 4x £50.

Can't actually recall. 200,000 on the waiting list apparently, although you can get bumped with a referral link from someone who gets to the head of the queue. My wife had been in the queue for months and when she got offered a slot, she bumped me with her referral link, so we started on the same day.

Good they give a sticker… I can see the Drug company (Lilly I think) offering a sticker in the pack, cos if it falls off, THEY supply the replacement.. they’re about £45 each, so i can’t see them wanting to carry that on for too long.

You get two massive stickers:

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52657659782_d52cd9af2a_c.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52657659782_d52cd9af2a_c.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2oebgFU ]Zoe GCM sticker[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

Is there a sticker there? it's so discreet..can barely see it.... 😉

DrP

Partner started theres on 2nd Jan, and has just got full reports back. Makes very interesting reading, and of course it’s completely unique to you.

The usual bad things to avoid but apparently the magic is in the middle ground where the big gains are for your guts.

I signed up a couple of weeks ago using there referral and mines arriving in April.

Is there a sticker there? it’s so discreet..can barely see it…. 😉

No, that's definitely a crack.

We tried them on a (now ex) diabetic cat, that idea really isn't going to work, till they can make them much smaller and stickier, they are the same size as the humans ones FFS. Mind you the cats ears were starting too look like nettle leaves from blood prick tests, so we were running out of options

shot my glucose right up to 9.

Joking aside, this is rather interesting, obviously this is incredibly beneficial for diabetics, but it is also interesting to see how 'normal' people react to food intake as well.

I've been using these sensors since they fist came out (so possibly 4+ years now) - I suspect some people have a reaction to the adhesive as I've never had a sensor fall off without me skelping it on a door frame/hitting a tree or pulling it off when it has expired. If I'm ever asked, I never recommend anything to stick them down - from my uneducated position, I suspect having a large sticking plaster on your arm for 2 weeks probably isn't great for that area of the body - no doubt that is completely wrong.

I would be interested to hear more about these findings - probably not specifics per person - but just an idea of how blood levels adjust for 'normal' people as it isn't something I tend to think about much.

Mrsofficer is borderline t2, so I'm about to get some of these in an efforts to get her to understand her carbohydrate heavy diet.

Joking aside, this is rather interesting, obviously this is incredibly beneficial for diabetics, but it is also interesting to see how ‘normal’ people react to food intake as well.

I think the idea is there isn't really a 'normal' response, it's highly personal. Eg this is mine and my wife's traces from yesterday (Day 0 or Test Day on the Zoe trial). Both fasted and ate the exact same meals and times. Breakfast and lunch were Zoe muffins with each being a different sugar/fat mix.

My trace is the lower one, my wife's the upper:

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52658929285_8ae0241f66.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52658929285_8ae0241f66.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2oehM4T ]Zoe Test Dat GCM[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

The three vertical lines are (from L to R).

1. Breakfast muffins after fasting all night
2. Lunch muffins after 4 hour fast since breakfast
3. End of 2 hour fast after lunch

After that we diverged and ate different things, I had fruit, she had some cake, but we both ate the same evening meal...

Yeah, I've got 'normal' in quotes as there isn't a normal - everything and everyone reacts differently, but it is very interesting to see how someone with a working pancreas reacts to increase in carbs/sugar intake and what exercise does as well...it is very interesting, thanks for sharing.

The science of using them in non diabetics is relatively new and fast moving. Having used them with "normal" patients quite a bit I've seen similar patterns developing.

Most find it is initially interesting (but not that useful in reality) to see that sugary drinks/processed pasta meals/breakfast cereals etc all cause big spikes and dips. We could predict that beforehand, and we know they aren't healthy anyway. It starts to get a bit more useful looking at individual responses to healthy wholefoods eg whole porridge oats. But the really interesting stuff is in zooming out a little and looking at knock on effects eg evening glass(es) of wine>worse sleep quality>worse glucose responses the next day. I think you are best using the LibreView web platform rather than your phone for looking at trends.

Exercise intensity and duration can also have (to some extent predictably) differing responses (low vs high intensity, timing activity/exercise vs food) which we can use for health benefits eg effect of a walk after lunch. Of course Supersapiens use a newer version for their analytics but they are targeting performance, which is not necessarily the same as health.

Whilst I think it is exciting and interesting to see what is happening on an individual basis, it is only really useful if it enables long term behavioural change. And if we can be confident that these changes are healthy. Zoe is (I think) the biggest project looking to validate all of this - they are also looking at other metrics of course (microbiome, fat response etc) but is is a fascinating program (I've not done it)

You can buy additional FreeStyle Libre 2 sensors direct from Abbot online - £58 for non diabetics iirc.

For clarity - Type 1 Diabetes is a completely different disease from Type 2. Poor sleep/inactivity/unsuitable nutrition amongst other things increase your risk of Type 2 and by and large that is what we are talking about here when talking about "Normal">Pre-Diabetes>Diabetes - these are all on a sliding scale. Type 1 is nothing to do with this (you Type 1 Diabetics all know this of course- it is the rest of us who get confused ....)

In terms of keeping these ones attached, if you live an active life... I can recommend these from Supersapiens...

Cancel that, I'd misunderstood the Supersapiens/Garmin/TRainingPeak integration thing...it is getting activities from them into Supersapiens.

it is a standard Abbott Libre sensor and they don’t allow data sharing

It's not a technical limitation, it's about medical approval. When sold for non-medical use they can open it up and try and do anything they want without proof, trials and certification. I know a young type1 boffin who has his own closed loop system set up based on the Libre2 sensor... it wouldn't get medical approval though... his system couldn't just be sold on to others.

Most find it is initially interesting (but not that useful in reality) to see that sugary drinks/processed pasta meals/breakfast cereals etc all cause big spikes and dips

My biggest peak so far was after a Nandos chicken burger with some fries - which being 80% protein by weight did surprise me somewhat. Ok the bun is white flour, and the chips processed potato, but the bulk was just two grilled chicken breasts (plain). I didn't even eat all the chips either!

Yeah, that makes sense, ta.

My biggest peak so far was after a Nandos chicken burger with some fries

No surprise there. Nandos is as processed as it comes. Damn tasty, but processed.

Can we see just how high the non diabetic ‘normies’ can go? Sticky toffee pudding with extra golden syrup, washed down with a lucozade and some haribo?

What’s the worst that could happen?

No surprise there. Nandos is as processed as it comes. Damn tasty, but processed.

I was surprised, I assumed the grilled chicken breasts / fillets would outweigh the processed refined carbs as they vastly outweighed them and slow down the absorbtion etc.

Can we see just how high the non diabetic ‘normies’ can go? Sticky toffee pudding with extra golden syrup, washed down with a lucozade and some haribo?

What’s the worst that could happen?

First one to get 'HI' wins

Until you get that flatline high line, where the sensor can no longer follow you up, you’re just playing at it.

I assumed the grilled chicken breasts / fillets would outweigh the processed refined carbs as they vastly outweighed them and slow down the absorbtion etc

On the positive side, it’s a sign that it was relatively low fat.

Until you get that flatline high line, where the sensor can no longer follow you up, you’re just playing at it.

Are you even trying if you don’t get admitted to hospital with Diabetic Ketoacidosis?

Indeed. If you’ve not been admitted you get no bragging rights.

On the positive side, it’s a sign that it was relatively low fat.

So is it fat which slows down sugar absorption rather than protein / fibre?

Yep. That’s why if diabetics go hypoglycaemic, a chocolate bar isn’t the best thing for them.

It’s not the worst thing, but there’s plenty better.

Blew my mind when I learned that, after 20 years…

So is it fat which slows down sugar absorption

Over the next few days you will get the chance to see this for yourself.

Indeed. If you’ve not been admitted you get no bragging rights.

I think I have bragging rights at both ends of the spectrum, I’ve had DKA, an experience I’m not keen to repeat, but also this, which was an effort and a half.

https://flic.kr/p/2oejpkY

Ironically, it was just after that, that the years of less than ideal control started to catch up.

Bloody hell, that is seriously impressive...think I need to up my scan frequency to 3 per hour and do some small micro adjustments if I want to get that good.
Impressive...you show-off! 😉

Was pretty much every half hour I was awake, probably 7 or 8 injections a day, fair few hypos too.

Not sustainable I found, but the consultants face when the HbA1c result came back was priceless!

CGMs are great bits of technology, I’ve been using them for more than 12 years with T1D, with several dietary patterns, and I still find out oddities about myself, lifestyle and diet.

The rise in the morning is mainly your body getting ready for the day and releasing cortisol and growth hormone, which can be influenced by various lifestyle and health factors.

Combining foods (fat and carbs or protein and fat) can cause some quite different BG results, especially if large quantities are involved. Not proportional to just carbs or smaller meals. As said, there are a lot of differences between individuals, even with the same meals, there have been some big studies looking at that.

Over the years, I’ve had skin irritation with lots of medical adhesives. Oddly, I’ve now used skin tac glue for quite a number of years, and never had a reaction. The CGM pretty much stays put for 10 days and I often did 20 plus days when Dexcom could be “restarted”.

Soooo much in life affects how a T1D responds to food and insulin action is very variable. It will be interesting to hear how much variation a person without diabetes has day to day, given the same circumstances.

Mega grateful for CGM, it has been life changing, I couldn’t get a HbA1c of 35 mmol/mol without it. 🙂

I wish my graphs looked like some of these! The Libre 2 has really helped me get my bloods under a better control, I’ve had plenty of time trying to perfect it since I was diagnosed at 9 months old!

I’ll be moving on the Medtronic Guardian soon which is a closed loop system, fingers crossed!

I’ll be moving on the Medtronic Guardian soon which is a closed loop system, fingers crossed!

A chap I cycle with (who is a Renal Consultant) became a Type 1? diabetic a few years ago, mid 40s, when his immune system decided to kill off all his beta cells. He has a CGM and a Insulin pump which talk via a dedicated Android Phone, to create a closed loop system. Although he still occasionally gets the phone out to tweak it a bit....

My 16 year old started on the Guardian at Christmas. Sensor is fiddly to fit and wear compared to the Libre, but less tech waste. Results of the closed loop system are remarkable. We’re impressed.

Yeah I think there still needs to be involvement telling the pump that I’ve exercised etc. I tried the early CGM’s out by Medtronic which required constant calibration by testing bloods, the new ones are meant to be a lot better.

They do look more fiddly to fit and more frequently I think? Compared to Libres 2 weeks. If it gives me good control I’m all for it.

Once a week, and the Guardian transmitter is reusable, just the sensor gets replaced. Is fiddly to apply, not a one handed job like Libre. The software does a remarkable job of keeping in range… but we haven’t cracked heavy exercise yet. Lots to learn still.

There is a lot of plastic waste with the Libre - you throw away about 90% of the kit!

There is a lot of plastic waste with the Libre – you throw away about 90% of the kit!

As someone who endured 30 years of finger pricks (or not, and the problems that causes) I’m good with it.

The battery and other tech waste is quite high with Libre as well, with the transmitter being single use. More of a concern if the non-medical use really takes of.

I think you are best using the LibreView web platform rather than your phone for looking at trends.

So just tried this using the account details Zoe gave me for the App - but not a valid account apparently - so only access via the iPhone App.

So, any non diabetics managed to break double figures yet?

No.

Over the 14 days the sensor lasted I exceeded 9 on 4 occasions and my 2 peakiest peaks were briefly 10.

So, any non diabetics managed to break double figures yet?

Yep!

[url= https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52700983415_7e4312f2c2_w.jp g" target="_blank">https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52700983415_7e4312f2c2_w.jp g"/> [/img][/url][url= https://flic.kr/p/2oi1ji6 ]Breakfasts[/url] by [url= https://www.flickr.com/photos/brf/ ]Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

No idea WTF is going on to be honest.

This is yesterday's and today's traces. Both days I slept for the same time, got up at the same time and ate the exact same breakfast at the same time, which normally doesn't do much as I've changed it to reduce glucose peaking.

Only yesterday over 10 and this morning back to 7. Also, another spike over 10 in my sleep, hours after I last ate anything...

Just shows there is a lot of variability in there which isn't directly linked to the last thing you ate....

I got to 10+ a few times during my fortnight. Also crashed out the bottom with a 2.9 a few times, which explained my lifelong very occasional bouts of weakness/shakiness/sweating etc which I always recover from in 20 minutes without having to eat anything.

Cycling with the monitor on was interesting. I could see a slow gentle rise in response to exercise to about 4.5 . If I eat say a Nakd bar or banana I tend to get a big peak and crash. Mid ride snacks have changed to nuts, and homemade bars with oats/nuts/seeds and very, very little maple syrup. Cafe stops are a lot quicker - no cake, no latte - and then its easier to get going again after.

I also found that there was some small degree of variability each day that I couldn't account for, but then once I was unwell the next day and thought maybe it was my body fighting infection. Zoe say that blood sugar is related to the degree of inflammation in your body [I think thats an accurate if vague and unscientific recollection of what they said...not a doctor].

Three months in, my diet has changed. More veggies, less fruit, more nuts and pulses. I'm going to try the CGM again to see if I have made any real improvement to my blood sugar levels.

My 1st (trial) kit arrived today - "fitting" tonight

I'm a weirdly uncontrolled t2 - diet and metformin do nothing really at all.  Had some genetic testing but I'm not an interesting MODI-type anomaly so this is going to be me stressing my system to see what does what.  Might end on the Zoe thing (just the returnable FL at the moment) if I can't get enough data out of myself (and/or end up on some different meds, I guess)

to see if I have made any real improvement to my blood sugar levels.

Bet you won’t have, save for maybe reducing spikes a bit, but that won’t have a massive effect on HbA1c. Non diabetics should be below 42mmol/6%, diabetics (or, their doctors at least) are happy below 60mmol/8%

No idea WTF is going on to be honest.

Welcome to my world. You have that reaction when you dip to double figures, come back when those double figures start with a 2, despite not changing anything…

Apologies if I come across as dismissive, but to me, anyone without a medical need for this does seem to be playing at being diabetic, only on super easy mode.

Apologies if I come across as dismissive, but to me, anyone without a medical need for this does seem to be playing at being diabetic, only on super easy mode.

I can see where you're coming from, but at the same time it's clear a lot of people (me included) are interested in knowing what goes on inside their bodies and how changing diet and/or habits affects that. In my case I do ultramarathons, and I'm definitely curious to know if a monitor would help out with nutrition and knowing when to eat (or when not to) as this is a critical part of long distance racing. Necessary? Clearly not, but definitely interesting.

Tom, some of this is collecting data that could be useful medically in future. It’s not all just about sport and lifestyle, even if that’s often the hook to get people involved. Not as likely to prove useful for type1 people in future, but could be useful for learning more about type2 and the pathways to it.

I clicked through as thought great sounds like a good idea to monitor glucose. Till I got to the 25 pounds a month bit. Is there a minimum subs period- can the units be bought stand alone?

I'm sure I read somewhere that the UCI were/have banned them as Chris Froome did something on his Youtube channel about them and how it helps getting feeding right during long races

The combination of what you eat together makes a big difference on sugar levels.

So there maybe is a science behind two or one meal a day to control insulin response?

I read somewhere that stress and anxiety can also raise blood sugar, to provide energy to fight or flight, which in turn raises the insulin response?

Which then comes to caffeine ingestion - whilst black coffee is low in carbs, the adrenaline response it provokes can inadvertently raise blood sugar and then an insulin response?

Anyone monitored their blood sugar after drinking caffeine? Interesting.

Till I got to the 25 pounds a month bit. Is there a minimum subs period- can the units be bought stand alone?

It's actually £300 for the test kit, plus the monthly fee after it arrives, for however long you continue on the program. Not cheap by any means, but the test kit costs a lot - £60 CGM sensor, blood test kit, feces test kit and some muffins...

can the units be bought stand alone?

Yep, I've just 'continued' the GCM bit by buying the monitors direct from FreeStyle Libre - £98 / month though...

I read somewhere that stress and anxiety can also raise blood sugar, to provide energy to fight or flight, which in turn raises the insulin response?

Yep and hard exercise, when I ride hard, my blood glucose rises and stays up for the whole ride, the tougher the ride, the higher the level.

Apologies if I come across as dismissive, but to me, anyone without a medical need for this does seem to be playing at being diabetic, only on super easy mode.

A friend (also on Zoe) did joke that she felt like she might get hauled up for 'diabetic appropriation'.

Has anyone used Supersapiens over this Zoe scheme? Supersapiens seems more sport/ athletic performance biased?

My daughter is Type 1 diabetic and has been since she was 4 years of age, currently going through the fun of puberty and her wildly swinging BG levels, and the alarms 3-4 times a night.

For myself, as i've mentioned on her a few times, i was diagnosed Type 2 after COVID, but since with a more controlled diet and exercise 6 days a week have kept it in remission from a few months after diagnosis, but I find it is a really fine balance on longer rides on trying to take on enough carbs to fuel the effort, but to not carry high BG levels on for the rest of the day, and i tend to do a lot of turbo trainer intervals, so would like to see what is happening with BG levels during these interval sessions, especially as for longer rides, i cannot carb load in the days running up to an event in the normal way.

Has anyone used Supersapiens over this Zoe scheme? Supersapiens seems more sport/ athletic performance biased?

Double the price of buying the FSL sensors (which is what they use).

I have tried registering a FSL sensor with the SS App, but it didn't work, so I guess the restrict it to the IDs of ones they have resold.

Seems a massive premium for whatever programming advice they off over just monitoring your glucose levels.

especially as for longer rides, i cannot carb load in the days running up to an event in the normal way.

I've not done anything super long yet, but up to 120 km on a road bike, I don't really find my BG levels change much, I certainly don't dip at all and don't find eating cereal bars etc makes a lot of difference - which was not what I was expecting. I don't carb load or anything special, just rely on whatever glucose is in my system and a bowl of cereal + toast before the ride.

The other interesting thing, is one evening I was getting really Hangry and would have wagered money my blood glucose was dipping as I was craving chocolate and feeling crap. Perfectly normal levels - was quite gobsmacked.

It's not a premium, it's the price (try buying a Freestyle Libre for a type1 diabetic outside the NHS ... ∼£100 for a pair). The Zoe research has (some how) enabled a much lower than shelf price... presumably because they intend to make money (and advance medical knowledge) from the large scale population data they will be collecting. It's what Zoe does.

It’s not a premium, it’s the price (trying buying a Freestyle Libre for a type1 diabetic outside the NHS).

It is a premium as I'm currently wearing a FSL I just bought off their website, so I know exactly what they cost outside the NHS.

You can just buy them online: https://www.freestylelibre.co.uk/libre/

The Zoe research has (some how) enabled a much lower than shelf price… presumably because they intend to make money (and advance medical knowledge) from the large scale population data they will be collecting. It’s what Zoe does.

The Zoe kit costs £300, a FSL costs £48 + VAT at RRP.

SS is something like £150 a months (2 sensors), so 50% mark up ish (assuming they don't get a discount buying them).

I thought you were talking about Supersapiens... which we used to get some sensors when there was no Libre stock in the UK at one point during the pandemic... and that was about £110 for a pair... when stand alone sensors were about £50 a piece, but there was no stock. Zoe worked out less than £50 a sensor when I looked late last year... quite a bit less, but I can't recall how much.

(trying buying a Freestyle Libre for a type1 diabetic outside the NHS … ∼£100 for a pair)

I feel your pain, we self funded for my T1 daughter for 3 years before it was made available to her on NHS, expensive especially when early versions seemed more likely to fail, and for a while the NHS took up the whole provision, so you couldn't buy direct from Abbot, and ended up buying off Amazon and the like for £70-80 a sensor only for there to be a connection failure or for her to knock it off her arm after 3 days!

Zoe worked out less than £50 a sensor when I looked late last year… quite a bit less, but I can’t recall how much.

You only get 1 sensor with Zoe in their £300 kit.

The monthly fee is for diet advice / feedback, not GCM monitoring.

They use the data from Day 1 (when you eat their muffins) to gauge your glucose response to sugar/carb/fat mixes and this then guides the ongoing 'bespoke' diet advice.

Hence I've bought some more FSL as I'm not done playing with them.

If you just want some GCM info, then Zoe is the *most* expensive way of doing it!

Supersapiens use a different sensor, which AFAIK only they are licensed to use and sell currently in the UK. Think of it as a FSL V3 (you are buying V2 currently directly from Abbott). It is specifically licensed for sports use (the V2 is for medical use) though I suspect they are looking to license them for lifestyle/general health use in the future. The V2/3 sensors only communicate with their own apps.

If you get a faulty sensor (even if it fails on day 13) then just contact Abbott and they will replace it free of charge. You usually need to send back the old one. I assume SS will do the same. There is a definite failure rate in my experience.

Supersapiens use a different sensor, which AFAIK only they are licensed to use and sell currently in the UK.

Yeah, it has transmit data not just transmit alarms enabled. Not yet got medical use approval anywhere. Still worked out about the same price as a pair of FSL2 when we got some. I just had a gander... now 150 euros a pair, so about £66 each... which is much the same as when buying FSL2 in pairs... £10 a piece premium... with data being sent without scanning (which having also tried the competitors' transmitters... Dexcom and Medtronic is a huge step up from scan to read for anything active).

If you just want some GCM info, then Zoe is the *most* expensive way of doing it!

So the ongoing subscription doesn't include CGM?! Well, I missed that completely! Not an option at all then.

Supersapiens use a different sensor,

Rather unclear, it's made by the same people, just branded 'Sport biosensor', which smells like marketing guff rather than being a different product entirely.

The Abbott Libre Sense Glucose Sport Biosensor is indicated for sports use only. The biosensor measures glucose between 55 and 200 mg/dL for athletic use. It is NOT intended for use in diagnosis, treatment or management of diabetes or any other disease.

Given Abbott's must be making 10,000s of FSL for every 'Sports Biosensor' sold I'd wager a small fortune they are exactly the same product, with just different packaging....

It's the same sensor, but different transmitter. Or at least the transmitter is set to operate differently and give functionality that the medical use approved version does not have (or does not have enabled).

I'd "wager" that a higher capacity battery needs to be in there as well, for the regular transmission of data. But that's a guess.

The cost of a new product wouldn't be covered by the tiny sales SS are making, so either it's the same, or (as you mentioned) they see a lifestyle market in the future.

As Kelvin pointed out it does operate differently to the V2, though I don't know whether the sensor is exactly the same with inbuilt features enabled for SS. I think the SS app also only shows a limited glucose range hence not ideal for some diabetics - I've not looked at it for a  while.

The cost of a new product wouldn’t be covered by the tiny sales SS are making

The new variant won't just be for them... it'll form the basis of the next medical device... but that needs more testing and to receive medical approval before diabetics get it... as Ioneonic suggested, it'll probably be labeled Freestyle Libre 3 once in use medically.

Ah cross posted. I'm too slow.

I suspect they are every keen to move into the lifestyle market - much bigger in the USA than here thus far, and not available to buy OTC there yet. (need a prescription in USA)

I'm hoping a big lifestyle/sport uptake might result in smaller and more robust devices longer term. My only worry is the tech and medical waste that would come from a big non-medical uptake.... so much gets binned.

As an aside... if Apple ever get their non-cannula sensors working for the lifestyle/sport market... the positive repercussions from that for medical users could be huge. The future could be much better for all diabetics if blood sugar monitoring becomes mass market. 🤞🏻

Interesting.. for me what i am trying to monitor as a Type 2, controlling it purely with diet and exercise, is my response to certain foods, to strong coffee, to HIIT exercise etc, I have out a lot of time into researching diet etc, combining low GI carb foods with good fats / protein to slow down absorption rates and have found that as i have become fitter, that my body can tolerate more carbs as long as they are eaten at the right time, are low GI, and with fibre, fats and protein.

But like my daughter does, you often get these curveballs, where you think you've done everything right and finger prick test for me shows BG as being high, do the same thing (i think) the next day and i am in range, that is where sensor would come in handy.

It has certainly changed things a lot for daughter, and hope is that we there will soon be a "closed loop system" available on NHS where CGM talks to insulin pump direct as an artificial pancreas.

.

Agreed although given obesity (approx 1/3 adults) and overweight (approx another 1/3) in the UK, I think the behavioural change that sometimes follows their use in people with metabolic illness (eg pre diabetes/NAFLD) may well justify their use. The sort of thing that needs more cost/benefit analysis for a population but for individuals we just have to get on with what we think is best.

Edit: Sorry slow again- that was in response to Kelvin

Scud, my youngest started on a closed loop system at Christmas. The biggest advantage is night time... where it keeps them in range all night. Amazing stuff, and hopefully available to more people on the NHS in coming years. Freestyle Libre 2 is very popular, but is probably the most limited CGM in use at the moment, the other companies are way ahead. BUT it is the easiest to apply and use by a long way, so they are closest to it being a consumer device rather than fiddly and delicate medical kit. All those transmitters/batteries being binned does feel very wasteful though.

Thought i'd share this, when first diagnosed, i found the info halfway down page on Torq products page really helpful, with differences between T1 and T2 and how both benefit from exercise and how both should consume carbs before, during and after exercise

https://www.torqfitness.co.uk/product-category/nutrition/diabetes-products#section-fillup-2

I agree with that post, and all your other ones Ioneonic.