5 Facts About Dexcom's Stelo Glucose Biosensor
The Stelo Biosensor Glucose Monitoring System is a simpler way to monitor glucose levels in real-time. This small, wearable device helps those who have diabetes closely manage their blood sugar levels, but it is also gaining popularity among individuals without diabetes who are looking to learn more about their health and wellness.
In March 2024, the FDA cleared Dexcom’s Stelo as the first over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor available without a prescription. This minimally invasive sensor is worn on the skin, typically on the upper arm, and tracks how food, sleep, and exercise affect the body's glucose levels. Here are five quick facts about the Stelo continuous glucose monitor to learn more about how it can improve general health and wellness.
1. Stelo Offers Real-Time Monitoring of Glucose Levels
Stelo is an easy and affordable addition to any wellness portfolio. This 24/7 wearable glucose monitor tracks how food, sleep, exercise, and other daily habits affect blood sugar levels. This data allows users to have a better understanding of their health and wellness, especially as it tracks more and more data over time. The real-time monitoring offered by Stelo shows the impact of lifestyle choices and knowledge on how someone can improve their overall well-being.
2. Stelo Provides Insightful Data, Tips, and Tricks
The Stelo Device pairs with its companion app (available in both the Google Play and Apple Stores). Within this app, users can enter multiple entries per day, describing their food intake, sleep, exercise routine, and other notes. From there, users can use the graph on the home screen to see how those everyday habits and choices impact their blood sugar levels. This helps patients better understand their overall health and wellness.
Additionally, the app houses an entire tab for expert-curated information, offering users articles on several different topics to help them feel more informed and confident to make healthier habits and choices.
3. Stress and Sleep Play an Important Factor in Glucose Levels
Although it may not be well known, both stress and sleep play a vital role in regulating glucose levels. Stress can trigger cortisol and adrenaline, which as a result increases sugar levels because the liver releases stored glucose for energy. If this happens too often, the risk of insulin resistance and metabolic function increases.
Poor sleep also impacts blood sugar levels because it impairs insulin sensitivity, alters the hunger hormones, and leads to overeating and inconsistent glucose patterns. By wearing a Stelo Glucose Biosensor, users will be able to monitor and better manage their blood sugar levels when they are stressed or receive poor sleep.
4. Monitoring Exercise is Highly Beneficial
Glucose fluctuates significantly during exercise and varies based on the individual's intensity, duration, and type of workout. By using a continuous glucose monitor, athletes and those who exercise can monitor their blood sugar levels in real-time so they can effectively manage their activity, pre-physical activity meals, water intake, and more.
5. Foods Affect Different People in Different Ways
As mentioned, individuals are able to track all of the foods and meals they eat within the Stelo app, allowing users to understand how what they ingest affects their blood sugar levels. They can learn which foods or combinations of food can spike glucose to make better decisions going forward. Additionally, it's important to note that different foods affect people in different ways. Two people eating the same meals can have completely different responses to those foods, allowing someone using the Stelo to learn the correct patterns and ways to eat to improve their overal health and well-being.
The OTC Advantage
The wireless connection to the Stelo phone app means you can view your glucose levels, trends and alerts on your personal device. The integrated generative AI platform learns your needs through on-going health evaluations, providing tips and educational information personalized for your individual health.
Wireless Connectivity
The wireless connection to the Stelo phone app means you can view your glucose levels, trends and alerts on your personal device. The integrated generative AI platform learns your needs through on-going health evaluations, providing tips and educational information personalized for your individual health.
Long Wear Time
The wireless connection to the Stelo phone app means you can view your glucose levels, trends and alerts on your personal device. The integrated generative AI platform learns your needs through on-going health evaluations, providing tips and educational information personalized for your individual health.
Helpful Features of the Stelo App
The wireless connection to the Stelo phone app means you can view your glucose levels, trends and alerts on your personal device. The integrated generative AI platform learns your needs through on-going health evaluations, providing tips and educational information personalized for your individual health.
Glucose Spikes: identifying an increase in blood sugar due to food, stress, or activity, helping you modify lifestyle for healthier results.
Meal and Activity Logs: You can keep track of meals and exercise which can help determine better choices in diet and physical activity based on glucose level data.
On-Going Diabetes Education: Driven by personalized data, the app offers tips for daily life that can help improve glucose levels and overall health.
User Alerts: The app also provides timely alerts for dangerously high or low glucose levels, helping you take action to avoid instances of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.
Interconnectivity with other Health Apps: the Stelo phone app integrates with other health apps so you can compare data from other sleep, stress and diet apps on your phone. You can share curated data with your doctor for more comprehensive diabetes management.
Long-term Benefits for Individuals with Diabetes
Minimally Invasive: The biosensor is typically designed to be comfortable and low-profile, with a small filament inserted just under the skin to measure interstitial glucose levels. That means no more finger sticks!
Improved Health Management: Continuous monitoring and real-time data help you learn what lifestyle choices best fit your health needs when it comes to blood sugar. You can make more informed decisions about diet, exercise, and medication.
Enhanced Safety: Alerts for glucose level extremes reduce the risk of emergencies.
Who Should Purchase the Stelo Biosensor?
If you have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, are an adult 18+ looking to track your health, and are not on insulin, the Stelo Biosensor Glucose Monitoring System is an effective management and learning tool to keep blood sugar levels under control without frequent visits to the doctor.
