The user wears a Stelo CGM device from Dexcom.
Courtesy of Dexcom
Dexcom Stelo on Monday announced its new non-prescription continuous glucose monitoring device is now officially available for purchase in the United States.
Glucose is a type of sugar that people get from food and is the body’s main source of energy. Continuous glucose monitors are small sensors that penetrate the skin to measure glucose levels in real time. They are often prescribed to people with diabetes because they can help alert users, their loved ones, and their doctors in emergency situations.
Stelo is primarily designed for people with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes who do not use insulin, though people without either condition can also purchase it. Users can purchase a monthly supply online for $99, or sign up for an ongoing subscription for $89 per month.
Dexcom said patients also have the option of using flexible spending accounts and health savings accounts to pay for Stilo, according to a statement.
The company already offers continuous glucose monitoring devices for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, but Stelo is Dexcom’s first product that doesn’t require a prescription. While most people with type 1 diabetes already have insurance coverage for the sensors, Stelo is now available to millions of people with type 2 diabetes who otherwise wouldn’t have a prescription or coverage. It also marks the company’s official entry into a new and lucrative market for people with type 1 diabetes.
Dexcom said there are more than 125 million Americans with type 2 diabetes or prediabetes who don’t use insulin, according to a company statement. The company designed Stelo to help teach this group of patients how to keep their glucose levels within a healthy range.
“The idea is to help people, over time, learn about their diet choices and habits, and how those choices and habits affect their glucose,” Jake Leach, Dexcom’s chief operating officer, told CNBC. “It’s about discovering things you haven’t seen before and then using them to create healthier habits.”
How it works
The FDA approved Stelo in March. It was the first non-prescription continuous glucose monitor to be approved for use, although competitor Dexcom, AbbottThe company received approval to produce two similar devices in June.
Leach said Dexcom is working with Amazon To fulfill Stelo delivery requests. Subscribed users may choose to skip or modify a delivery date, but this is typically scheduled within 30 days of the initial subscription.
The badge is worn on the upper arm and lasts for 15 days before needing to be replaced. It is gray in color, about the size of a quarter and about half an inch thick.
The sensor transmits data wirelessly to a smartphone app. When users start setup, they’ll choose whether they have type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, or none of the above. This helps determine a “target range,” which is the range Dexcom wants users to try to maintain their glucose levels in. The target range is based on established medical standards, with most people falling between 70 and 180 milligrams per deciliter, according to the American Diabetes Association.
When they open the Stelo home page, they’ll see their most recent reading, which is updated every 15 minutes. They’ll also see a graph of their readings each day, which includes a shaded green area to indicate their target range. If they scroll down, they’ll see a summary of how much time they’ve spent in their target range over time.
Everyone’s glucose levels are different, but Stelo sends users a notification when they experience a spike in glucose levels. Glucose spikes occur when the amount of sugar in your bloodstream rises rapidly and then drops. This often happens after eating.
In the short term, high glucose levels can make you feel tired, but high glucose levels can lead to more serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease over time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s why Dexcom wants users to try to keep their glucose levels within Stelo’s target range.
Next to the home page is the “Events” page, where Stelo users can log their meals, activities, finger pricks, or other notes. Leach said it’s especially important for users to log when they experience a spike in heart rate so they can think about why it happened.
Stelo notifies users of significant spikes, so they won’t necessarily be alerted every time their levels spike. Leach said this is an intentional design choice meant to draw attention to the larger fluctuations patients experience.
“Even for someone who has normal glucose and the occasional spike in glucose levels, it will look for the most impactful spikes and then try to engage the user about, ‘OK, what happened there?’” he said.
For users who want to delve deeper into their glucose levels and understand why they’re high, there’s a wealth of educational material in the app’s Learn tab. The articles are brief, sometimes just a few sentences long, and are divided into categories like “Stello Basics,” “Glucose Deep Dive,” “Nutrition,” “Exercise,” “Sleep,” and “Stress.”
CNBC tests Stylo
Stylo app
Courtesy of Dexcom
I've been testing Stelo since early August. Overall, I think it's been easy to use and useful.
When my monitors arrived in the mail, the first thing I had to do was attach the sensor to my arm and pair it with the Stelo app. I found this process very easy – the app walked me through what to do with clear step-by-step instructions.
I cleaned the back of my right arm, put the Dexcom in there, pressed the button and the CGM started up right away. It happens quickly and is completely painless.
The screen connects to the Stelo app via Bluetooth, and then takes about half an hour to warm up.
At this point I had some initial problems. Once my device started to warm up, I got an error message saying “sensor short circuit.” The message told me not to remove the CGM, and that the problem was temporary. I left it on all day, but by evening, I noticed some light bleeding. I decided to remove this sensor.
I had another CGM machine placed on my other arm, and that one warmed me up and worked properly. I’ve been wearing it ever since and haven’t had any bleeding issues. If users have problems with the product, they can message the chat interface on Stelo’s website to get a replacement or have their questions answered there, Leach said.
Once I got everything up and running with my second sensor, it was smooth sailing.
I found the Stelo app simple and easy to use. I never felt overwhelmed with data or notifications, and logging meals and exercise was a breeze. Users can also choose to import their sleep and activity data from the Apple Health app or the Health Connect app on Android, which I think is a nice touch.
If this is your first time using a CGM, I would definitely recommend reading the articles in the Learn tab. I think Dexcom does a good job of using simple language to explain what glucose is, what it affects, and why it is important.
The longer I wear the sensor, the more I realize that the algorithm is adapting to me and my habits. I don’t get notifications every time my glucose levels go up, but it alerts me when I experience a particularly high spike. The app has also started to learn my patterns. For example, it recently told me that my glucose levels tend to spike between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m., which is when I typically eat dinner.
Most of the time, I forget I have the sensor on. It's waterproof, so I didn't have to worry about it in the shower. I didn't notice it while sleeping. I'd advise being a little careful with long sleeves, as the sensor can get a little messy, but it's easy to wear all sorts of clothes and jackets over it.
In the short time I’ve been using Stelo, I’ve learned a lot about how my body responds to certain foods. Even simple adjustments (eating carbs at the end, for example) have helped me minimize spikes in my glucose levels. It’s easy to see how continuous glucose monitors can serve as a valuable window into your body. If you’re looking for a simple, accessible gateway to understanding your glucose data, I think Stelo is a good option.
