Continuous glucose monitoring made me continuously crazy: A Personal Journey with Wearable Technology
Victoria Song, a senior reporter at The Verge, delves into her year-long experience with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, exploring their potential benefits and drawbacks for non-diabetics. Song, who has a family history of Type 2 diabetes and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), initially embraced CGMs as a way to optimize her metabolic health and manage her diabetes risk. However, her journey was not without challenges and unexpected revelations.
Song's initial enthusiasm for CGMs was fueled by the promise of real-time glucose monitoring and the potential to gain insights into her body's response to food, activity, stress, and sleep. She invested time in reading studies, consulting with researchers, and testing various CGM devices, including Dexcom Stelo and Abbott Lingo. The devices provided valuable data, but Song soon realized that interpreting this data was not as straightforward as it seemed.
One of the main challenges Song encountered was the lack of consensus among medical experts regarding CGM data interpretation. She found that different doctors had varying opinions on what constituted 'normal' or 'abnormal' glucose levels, and there was no universal reference set of data to guide non-diabetics. This ambiguity led to anxiety and confusion, as Song struggled to understand her own CGM data and its implications for her health.
Song's experience highlights the potential for CGMs to create a hypervigilant mindset, where individuals become overly focused on their glucose levels and the potential for spikes or dips. This can lead to disordered eating and exercise habits, as she found herself fixating on her CGM data and negotiating with herself about what to eat or not to eat. The constant monitoring and the pressure to optimize her metabolism took a toll on her mental health and social life.
Despite the challenges, Song acknowledges the potential benefits of CGMs for non-diabetics, particularly in managing metabolic health and diabetes risk. However, she emphasizes the need for awareness of the limitations and the potential for unintended consequences. She advocates for a balanced approach, where CGMs are used as a tool to gain insights into one's body, but not as a silver bullet for demystifying and optimizing metabolism.
In the end, Song's journey with CGMs taught her the importance of critical thinking and self-reflection. She learned that while technology can provide valuable data, it is essential to interpret this data within the context of one's overall health and to seek professional guidance when needed. Song now opts to use CGMs only to test new features, rather than relying on them as a primary tool for managing her health.
