Diabetics use glucose monitors. Should non-diabetics use them too?

TUCSON, Ariz. – The continuous glucose monitor pierced my skin so quickly I can barely recall the sensation. A prick? A poke? A prod?

I wasn't used to it. After all, I'm not a diabetic. So why did I "need" this?

Diabetics must regularly monitor their glucose to regulate their blood sugar levels at any given time. Those without the chronic condition don't have to watch it as closely, but that doesn't mean tracking how your body responds to different foods, exercises or emotions isn't worth monitoring. At least that's the opinion at Canyon Ranch, a wellness resort in Tucson, Arizona, where guests taking part in a special longevity program will be encouraged to see how their glucose levels respond over a period of two weeks. They can then potentially make changes to their diets if they notice certain patterns that could have adverse affects on their health.

In my case, Eric Williamson, director of nutrition at Canyon Ranch, told me we could use the continuous glucose monitor results to optimize my energy levels so I could avoid spikes and crashes.

More and more people are talking abut the monitoring device, also known as CGM, for non-diabetics. But not everyone in the health field is so bullish on the prospects of CGMs for everyone, and they question whether digging in too much is worth the hassle.

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Are CGMs worth it?

CGMs are little sensors placed under the skin of your arm that will send data to your smartphone and offer insights on your blood sugar levels; you wear them for about one to two weeks at a time. It's a tool diabetics may use, and they can even connect to insulin pumps. They also may cost them thousands of dollars out of pocket per year.

Dr. Robert Shmerling, senior faculty editor of Harvard Health Publishing at Harvard Medical School, thinks continuous glucose monitoring is marketing getting ahead of the science. If you aren't diabetic, for example, he says the research doesn't support CGMs as effective. Canyon Ranch, for its part, assures all its testing is backed by sound research; a classic case of conflicting opinions in medicine.

Shmerling is open to research changing. But for now, in his opinion, the research only supports that there's variability in people's glucose levels and some have more than others. 

People who use CGMs may still find them valuable. Canyon Ranch guest Otis Greene, for example, found his results interesting, especially when compared to his wife's. She's from the Caribbean and can eat starchy island staples like rice, beans and yucca. While his blood sugar spikes high when he eats that kind of food, hers doesn't as much. At the same time, she has much higher cholesterol than him.

He also has prediabetes. His hemoglobin A1c was a 6.3 at Canyon Ranch; his doctors at home knew about this and had been trying to get the number to budge to no avail with medication, Metformin. A few weeks later, after paying attention to what his glucose monitor has been telling him, it's dipped to 6.1. His doctor said to "keep doing what these people are telling you," and offered to write him a prescription for a new monitor (they last two weeks). He's hoping to ultimately be out of that prediabetic range completely.

Noted:Yes, dietary choices can contribute to diabetes risk: What foods to avoid

'I have a doctor willing to leave well enough alone'

These takes might be more flash-in-the-pan: "The worried well will argue that their diets aren’t perfect and they want to do better. OK. Whatever," says Marion Nestle, the Paulette Goddard Professor of nutrition, food studies and public health, emerita, at New York University. "I know people who love these tests and I’ve seen people walking around with glucose monitors who do not have either type 1 or type 2. I prefer less medical intervention, and as little as possible for as long as I can get away with it. Fortunately, I have a doctor willing to leave well enough alone."

Valter Longo, the director of the USC Longevity Institute, thinks glucose monitor analysis will eventually be front-and-center in medicine as longevity becomes more of a focus. The longevity market around the world had a $25.1 billion valuation in 2020. That number is expected to his $44.2 billion by 2030, according to Allied Market Research.

Still, if you don't want to look into getting a CGM yourself, here's a quick tip: "If you want to just even stabilize your blood sugar even more, you can have your protein first. So if you have a plate of food, and you have a chicken breast and then sweet potato, and some vegetables," Williamson suggests, "eat your chicken breast first, or most of it, and then the sweet potato, and that'll actually level out your blood sugar levels."

The reporter on this story received access to these services from Canyon Ranch. USA TODAY maintains editorial control of content.