How continuous glucose monitors help protect your heart

Health isn’t produced by accident. It requires intentionality and dedication — and good data can give you a huge boost.

If understanding the driving factors was easier, we wouldn’t have a modern health crisis involving 93.2% of US adults.

But new technology has made our metabolic health both accessible and understandable. Tools like continuous glucose monitors have empowered thousands of Americans to take back their health — and keep a closer eye on their eating patterns, fasting glucose, and exercise habits.

Here’s what you need to know about CGMs and their impact on heart health.

What are continuous glucose monitors?

A continuous glucose monitor is a medical device used to track blood sugar levels as you go about your day. Once you attach the device to your shoulder, wrist, or side, you can use your phone to check the numbers after a meal, fast, or bout of exercise.

You don’t need to be awake to track your glucose. The device stores your data over time so you can evaluate the metrics and make decisions at your leisure.

You also don’t have to be a diabetic to purchase a device. In fact, an increasing number of people who aren’t diagnosed with chronic diseases use CGMs to track their sugar levels, blood composition, and insulin spikes.

The benefits of continuous glucose monitors

There are a number of benefits in continuously tracking your glucose levels. For one thing, you can get more in-depth insights about how your body’s rhythm changes throughout the day (and night). You may discover spikes after meals that require additional exercise, or find you’re dipping too low after exercises and need to eat more.

I recommend using a continuous glucose monitor for several purposes:

1. To establish baseline numbers for your body. It’s impossible to measure progress along your metabolic health journey without marking a quantitative starting point. I suggest recording a week’s worth of metabolic information to create a general estimate of your current heart health.
2. To monitor interactions between your body and certain foods. Some people experience glucose spikes after eating certain fruits or vegetables, so it’s important to be in-tune with your body and what it reacts to. You may choose to moderate spikes with exercise after meals, or simply remove the food in question to stabilize your blood sugar.
3. To track the effects of exercise on your blood sugar. Any behavior that utilizes energy — from hiking to running to lifting weights — will impact your glucose. Understanding the extent of this impact and how it interacts with meal times can help you avoid spikes and unnecessary physiologic stress.
4. To create an awareness around everyday activities. It’s easy to go on autopilot when choosing meals for the day, or justify avoiding the gym after a busy shift at work. But wearing a CGM can help maintain your focus and commitment. You’re constantly reminded about why you do what you do, and may have less trouble staying the course as a result.
5. To reclaim your metabolic health. Healthy people don’t stay healthy forever. Illnesses, strains, and breaks can’t always be avoided. But while we can’t always avoid situations outside of our control, we can monitor and respond to decisions entirely within our control — including the food we eat.

To summarize, the role of a continuous glucose monitor is to help you make data-driven decisions about what you eat, what you do, and what you change. This empowers you to take charge of your metabolic health in ways finger stick tests simply can’t.

What to look for in continuous glucose monitors

Continuous glucose monitors are increasingly available to US audiences. That said, not all CGMs are created equal. Some are flimsy and fall off frequently, while others can’t get accurate readings of your glucose.

It’s important to look for signs of quality and choose a brand that can last. I suggest looking for:

• Form-fitting design. Some CGMs are bulky and raise off the body, making it difficult to keep them from falling out or ripping off. Form-fitting options are the ideal solution.
• Waterproof features. You should be able to get into the water for brief periods of time, including showers and similar activities.
• Comprehensive measurements. Monitoring your glucose is just the first step of tracking your heart health. It’s a good idea to purchase a platform that monitors multiple facets of your metabolic health, including body temperature, sleep, and HRV.

My recommendation for a continuous glucose monitor

Prevention always beats treatment, especially when it comes to protecting your heart health and metabolism. 

And that’s exactly what a CGM was designed to do. 

Not only do they give you detailed insights during the day (and night) but they let you peek under the hood of your health and get a better understanding of where you’re at and where you’re going.

If you’re interested in getting started with CGMs but not sure where to look, I recommend using Ultrahuman to track your glucose biomarkers. In addition to the monitor, there are integrations with devices you may already own, including your Oura ring or Apple Watch.

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