For the first time, continuous glucose monitors are available over the counter in the United States. These helpful devices have long been used for diabetics, but could they be helpful for women without diabetes?
What are Continuous Glucose Monitors & what do they do?
A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a small device that transmits continuous data about the wearer’s glucose levels through Bluetooth. It’s worn on the back of the arm for up to two weeks, and utilizes a small, needle-like electrode to send the readings to a connected app or device.
In the past, the only way to get a glucose reading at home was to use a finger prick to test the blood glucose level. This effective method gives an accurate reading in the moment, but as levels continue to change, more blood tests would have to be done to see them occur. A CGM allows the user to have up-to-date level readings because it measures glucose in the interstitial fluid around cells.
Having this continuous data allows users to see changes that occur before and after meals, exercise, medication, and other influences.
What’s a normal blood glucose reading?
It’s normal for glucose to change throughout the day, especially after eating a meal. Normal, non-diabetic glucose readings average around 105mg/dL, but can be anywhere between 80-140mg/dL, especially after consuming carbohydrates or sweets [1]. But if glucose changes are dramatic, these spikes and crashes in sugar may cause side effects and long term health concerns.
Data from a CGM allows users to see whether or not they’re having these spikes and crashes, and what may be causing them.
Is it beneficial for women without diabetes to use Continuous Glucose Monitors?
It could be that the majority of non-diabetic users would find themselves with perfectly normal results! A previous study designed to assess normal parameters for non-diabetics found that the average glucose reading was 98 to 99 mg/dL for those under the age of 60 [2].
Those with undiagnosed diabetes
However, a 2018 Stanford study established that non-diabetics can have dramatic glucose changes after meals just like diabetics do. Why is this the case? Possibly because they have yet to be accurately diagnosed. There are 38 million Americans with diabetes, but there are 1.2 million new diagnoses each year, and an estimated 8.7 million Americans who remain undiagnosed.
Those with pre-diabetes
Users could also discover that they have a condition that may eventually lead to diabetes, like the 97.6 million Americans who are pre-diabetic (a condition where blood glucose levels are higher than normal, but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis), or the 40% of American young adults who have insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is especially common in women who experience symptoms of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Those with PCOS have a hormonal imbalance that causes irregular cycles, high androgen levels (that may lead to weight gain and acne), and/or the overproduction of ovarian cysts.
Still, there will be other users who have no diagnosable endocrine disorders, and yet find they are more likely to experience glucose spikes or crashes. Even these women might benefit from knowing they experience them and how often they occur.
Could CGM results help women without diabetes to improve their health?
Women experiencing glucose spikes may notice unwanted symptoms like brain fog, headaches, restless sleep, sweet cravings, or still feeling hungry after eating. If glucose is dropping too low, it could cause symptoms like feeling shaky, faint, lightheaded, sweaty, or anxious. These frustrating symptoms affect the quality of day-to-day life, but they also point to an underlying cause: unregulated glucose changes.
If these dramatic shifts go unchecked, they won’t only cause unwanted symptoms. They may contribute to negative long term health outcomes like weight gain, hormonal imbalances, anxiety, fatty liver disease, or Alzheimer’s disease[3].
An over-the-counter CGM gives a woman the opportunity to identify whether or not she experiences these shifts. Not only that, but a CGM provides non-diabetic users with the ability to see whether changes to diet, exercise, or lifestyle are improving glucose spikes and crashes or not. The ability to confirm consistently balanced glucose levels through a CGM may actually be more beneficial than an isolated blood sugar reading from a finger prick, or even an average-of-the-last-3-months blood sugar reading from a Hemoglobin A1C lab.
Should every woman utilize a CGM?
There are many possible benefits to women in using a CGM, but some may be more interested in trying out this new over-the-counter option than others, like those:
- who are pre-diabetic and hope to reverse their condition
- who have been diagnosed with PCOS
- with a family history of diabetes, prediabetes, or insulin resistance
- who experience symptoms of blood sugar spikes or crashes
- who would like to optimize their glucose balance for improved physical and mental health [4]
- who are simply curious to further investigate this aspect of their health!
It’s important, though, to state again that not everyone needs to try out a CGM, and it won’t offer definite health benefits to everyone who does. In a comment to Medscape, Dr. Aaron Neinstein, chief medical officer for artificial-intelligence-meets-healthcare company Notable, said “If you go to people who have no medical problems, no insulin resistance, no family history of diabetes, at that point, we do not have evidence that CGM is of health benefit.” Furthermore, for women with a history of disordered eating or those who experience obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), CGM use may be particularly ill-advised.
Reducing blood sugar spikes without a CGM
If you’re seeking to regulate your blood sugar but not interested in trying out a CGM, Jessie Inchauspie, author of The Glucose Revolution, shares how easy it can be to begin to balance out glucose spikes. She suggests 10 easy “glucose hacks” in her book, which all focus on slowing both the amount and rate of absorption of glucose. Some medical professionals recommend reducing carbohydrate intake, since certain types of carbohydrate foods, like rice, bread, potatoes, and sweets, can cause significant glucose spikes [5]. Inchauspie suggests that pairing proteins and healthy fats with carbohydrates can produce fewer and smaller glucose spikes, as well.
Other glucose hacks include only eating carbohydrates after protein and healthy fats (which can reduce glucose rise by as much as 75%), starting each meal with vegetables and each day with a savory breakfast, and including physical exercise for at least 10 minutes after eating a meal [6]. Ultimately, trying out a CGM may or may not make sense for your personal circumstances and health history. But eating a balanced diet, mindful of the importance of order of foods for blood sugar regulation, is relevant for everyone.
Additional Reading:
How does blood sugar change over the course of the menstrual cycle?
Does birth control affect blood sugar?
Why do I crave sugar before my period?
