Healthy People Track Blood Sugar: Why?

Over-the-counter continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), once limited to prescription use for people with diabetes, are increasingly being used by non-diabetic consumers for everyday health tracking. The shift has been visible since 2024, alongside the arrival of retail-focused products such as Dexcom Stelo and Abbott Lingo. These devices measure glucose in interstitial fluid, giving users a near-continuous view of how food choices and physical activity affect their metabolic readings.

CGMs have long been closely associated with Type 1 diabetes management, where frequent glucose monitoring is central to care. In recent years, the addressable market has broadened beyond that traditional base. Use has expanded to include people with prediabetes and people with Type 2 diabetes who do not rely on insulin, as well as a growing cohort of individuals without diabetes who are seeking more data about their bodies.

Population figures underline why companies and consumers are paying attention to metabolic health tools. The American Diabetes Association said that as of 2021, about 95% of the 38.4 million Americans living with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes. The same source reported an additional 98 million Americans with prediabetes, a group often encouraged to focus on diet, weight management, and exercise to reduce risk and improve outcomes.

For people with prediabetes and for many with Type 2 diabetes who are not using insulin, CGMs are positioned as a way to connect daily habits with measurable changes. The source material describes the benefits for these groups as well-established, with CGMs serving as a practical feedback tool to support lifestyle adjustments aimed at managing—and in some cases potentially reversing—metabolic conditions.

The picture is less settled for non-diabetic users. While devices can show how glucose readings move after meals or workouts, the source notes that the overall usefulness of CGMs for people without diabetes is still not clear. Even so, adoption is being pushed by wellness influencers, biohackers, and athletes who promote CGMs as a method for “metabolic optimization,” helping to normalize the idea of glucose tracking as part of general wellness rather than a disease-specific practice.

Beyond the United States, the trend highlights a broader convergence between medical devices and consumer health products, with potential relevance for regulators, insurers, and health systems watching how medical-grade monitoring tools are marketed and used.

For global markets, the move from prescription-only to over-the-counter availability can reshape demand patterns and competition in the health technology sector, even as questions remain about what outcomes CGMs can reliably improve for people who do not have diabetes.