A New Way to Monitor Blood Sugar

Who can benefit from this wearable technology

- Beth Weinhouse

YOU MAY HAVE noticed them last summer when the weather got warm enough for T-shirts: those square or round, somewhat threedimensional patches on people's upper arms (though they can be worn elsewhere too). They're too raised to be estrogen or nicotine patches. So what are they? They're continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), prescribed by physicians for people with diabetes to help them keep track of and control their blood sugar levels. As of the end of the summer, one of these monitors, the Stelo biosensor from Dexcom, became available without a prescription, giving new groups of Americans the chance to improve their health by wearing one.