Why CGM

Why CGM is important for taking control of glucose management in adults with diabetes

American Dibetes Association

The 2026 ADA Guidelines recommend CGM use in adult patients with diabetes1

ADA recommends CGM to improve outcomes, reduce hypoglycemia, and reduce treatment burden.1


 

Type 1 diabetes

For all patients

Use as early as diagnosis, even if presymptomatic1

Type 2 diabetes

Those who use insulin

Patients who use insulin should use CGM daily as much as possible1

Those who do not use insulin

  • Patients on non-insulin injectable glucose-lowering medications1
  • Patients on oral glucose-lowering medications1

BGM vs. CGM


 

G7 sensor

BGM may allow dangerous glucose excursions to go unnoticed. CGM can help.

CGM’s continuous 24-hour monitoring catches the spikes and lows that BGM may miss while building a picture of day-to-day trends2


 

same 24-hour day with BGM vs. Dexcom G7 15 Day - showing greater measurements with Dexcom G7 15 day

 

Illustrative model of a 24-hour blood glucose profile; not derived from an actual patient dataset.

Zoom in

 

Unlike BGM, CGM reveals glucose variability to help 
reduce excursions3

BGM: 3-5 readings a day

  • Provides 1 measurement at 1 point in time
  • Detects neither direction nor rate of glucose changes, nor trends
  • BGM may miss up to 98.3% of glucose readings daily*
  • Requires multiple fingersticks daily

CGM: 288 readings a day3

  • Predicts lows and may allow for corrective action2
  • Also tracks TIR and glucose variability4
  • Encourages positive diet and exercise changes†,5
  • Improves physician-patient partnership6

A1C and TIR

 

A1C and BGM don’t tell the full story
of your patients’ glucose control


Two patients who have the same A1C can spend different amounts of time in range (TIR).
A1C measures a patient's average glucose percentage over the past 8-12 weeks. Time in range reveals the percentage of time a person with diabetes spends within their target glucose range (typically between 70 and 180 mg/dL). Time in range shows a more accurate view of the length and severity of their glucose fluctuations. This is most efficiently done using CGM.7

 

Both patients have an A1C of 7%

Chart showing cgm vs BGM with CGM user showing a more accurate Time in rangeChart showing cgm vs BGM with CGM user showing a more accurate Time in range

Zoom in

42 Factors


42 factors that may affect blood glucose8

Not everyone responds to glucose changes the same way, and there are often day-to-day variations. Certain factors may also apply more to patients with type 1 vs. type 2 diabetes. The best way to see how a factor affects a patient is through personal experience, frequent blood glucose checks, and by wearing a CGM to identify patterns.‡,8

Food

  1. Carbohydrate quantity

  2. Carbohydrate type

  3. Fat

  4. Protein

  5. Caffeine

  6. Alcohol

  7. Meal timing

  8. Dehydration

  9. Personal microbiome

neutral

increasing

decreasing

undetermined

Medication

  1. Dose

  2. Timing

  3. Interactions

  4. Steroid administration

  5. Niacin (vitamin B3)

neutral

increasing

decreasing

undetermined

Activity

  1. Light exercise

  2. High-intensity & moderate exercise

  3. Level of fitness training

  4. Time of day

  5. Food and insulin timing

neutral

increasing

decreasing

undetermined

Biological

  1. Too little sleep

  2. Stress and illness

  3. Stress and illness

  4. During-sleep blood sugars

  5. Dawn phenomenon

  6. Infusion-set issues

  7. Scar tissue/lipodystrophy

  8. Intramuscular insulin delivery

  9. Allergies

  10. A higher glucose level

  11. Menstruation

  12. Puberty

  13. Celiac disease

  14. Smoking

neutral

increasing

decreasing

undetermined

Environmental 

  1. Niacin (vitamin B3)

  2. Timing

  3. Interations

  4. Niacin (vitamin B3)

  5. Personal microbiome

neutral

increasing

decreasing

undetermined

Behavior & Decisions

  1. More frequent BG checks

  2. Default options and choices

  3. Decision-making biases

  4. Family and social pressures

neutral

increasing

decreasing

undetermined

‡The arrow show the general effect these 42 factors seem to have on blood glucose based on scientific research and/or the experiences of diaTribe. Not every individual will respond in the same way, so the best way to see how a factor affects your patients is through their own data: patients should check their blood glucose often and look for patterns. Adapted from diaTribe website.

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Coverage & 
Affordability

Extensive coverage through a broad range of commercial and Medicare plans§,9,10

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A1C=hemoglobin A1C; ADA=American Diabetes Association; BGM=blood glucose monitoring; CGM=continuous glucose monitoring; TIR=time in range. 

*Based on a person testing blood glucose 5x a day vs. 288 readings using Dexcom CGM.
†55% of participants surveyed wore Dexcom CGM.
§Individual pricing may vary. Coverage may vary by insurance.

References: 1. ADA PPC_7. Diabetes Care. 2026;49(Supp 1):S150-S165. 2. Pettus J, et al. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2017;11(1):138-147. 3. Dexcom G7 15 Day User Guide 2025. 4. Battelino T, et al. Diabetes Care. 2019;42(8):1593-1603. 5. Ehrhardt N, et al. Clin Diabetes. 2020;38(2):126-131. 6. Cowart K, et al. Expert Rev Med Devices. 2021;18(11):1049-1055.
7. Cleveland Clinic. 2024. Accessed August 20, 2026. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/time-in-range-diabetes 8. Brown A. The diaTribe Foundation. 2022. Accessed August 20, 2026. https://diatribe.org/diabetes-management/42-factors-affect-blood-glucos… 9. Data on file, Dexcom. 2025. 10. Data on file, Dexcom. 2026.

 

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