{"id":21857,"date":"2024-12-03T08:43:10","date_gmt":"2024-12-03T14:43:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/naturalwomanhood.org\/?p=21857"},"modified":"2025-02-05T11:19:24","modified_gmt":"2025-02-05T17:19:24","slug":"monitores-continuos-de-glucosa-no-diabeticos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalwomanhood.org\/es\/continuous-glucose-monitors-non-diabetic\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00bfDeben los no diab\u00e9ticos utilizar monitores continuos de glucosa?\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For the first time, continuous glucose monitors are available over the counter<\/a> in the United States. These helpful devices have long been used for diabetics, but could they be helpful for women without <\/em>diabetes?\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are Continuous Glucose Monitors & what do they do?  <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a small device that transmits continuous data about the wearer\u2019s glucose levels through Bluetooth. It\u2019s 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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having this continuous data allows users to see changes that occur before and after meals, exercise, medication, and other influences.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What\u2019s a normal blood glucose reading? <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s normal for glucose to change throughout the day, especially after eating a meal. Normal, non-diabetic glucose readings average around 105mg\/dL<\/a>, 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.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data from a CGM allows users to see whether or not they\u2019re having these spikes and crashes, and what may be causing them.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is it beneficial for women without<\/em> diabetes to use Continuous Glucose Monitors? <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a> [2].  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those with undiagnosed diabetes<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

However, a 2018 Stanford study established that<\/a> 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<\/a>, but there are 1.2 million new diagnoses each year, and an estimated 8.7 million Americans who remain undiagnosed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those with pre-diabetes<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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> (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<\/a> 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<\/a> that causes irregular cycles, high androgen levels (that may lead to weight gain and acne), and\/or the overproduction of ovarian cysts.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Could CGM results help women without diabetes to improve their health? <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If these dramatic shifts go unchecked, they won\u2019t only cause unwanted symptoms. They may contribute to negative long term health outcomes like weight gain, hormonal imbalances, anxiety, fatty liver disease, or Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a>[3].  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should every woman utilize a CGM?  <\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n