Dexcom Stelo is a glucose monitor for Type 2 diabetics who don't use insulin

Blood glucose giant Dexcom has used CES 2024 to announce a new continuous glucose monitor (CGM) designed specifically for Type 2 diabetics who don't use insulin - Dexcom Stelo. 

The Stelo still provides a live look at the user's blood sugar levels throughout the day like other CGMs, but, unlike the company's other systems, this isn't necessarily designed to avoid glycemia complications or save lives. 

Instead, the CGM is focused on providing more context to the real-time readings that appear in the Dexcom app so that wearers can make more informed lifestyle decisions.

Rather than a CGM that only works to monitor and alert users about dangerously high/low blood sugar, the Stelo - which will last around 15 days per sensor and is based on the Dexcom G7 - will give those with Type 2 insights into how their diet, exercise, sleep, or stress affects levels in the moment.

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However, it's not clear at present how the technology in Stelo differs from something like the Dexcom G7, and, say, whether it's designed to take fewer readings throughout the day.

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On account of the system not actually being released yet, and also due to the varying nature of individual's insurance, it's also not yet clear how much the Stelo will cost.

What we do know is that the system is designed to be on the more affordable end of the CGM spectrum.

Dexcom notes that it submitted Stelo to FDA regulators back in Q4 2023, with it expected to be cleared for launch this summer, so we won't have long to wait to find out.

And, all in all, the Stelo appears to be a more confident, medical-focused proposition than a lot of the CGM tech we've seen on display at CES 2024 this week. 

Others, like Abbott's Lingo CGM, are instead designed to help the everyday person discover what monitoring blood glucose can do for their habits, but many others don't necessarily have such a clear plan of who they're targeting. 

With Dexcom's pedigree all within the area of blood glucose monitoring, it's no surprise to see it stick down the medical route. The only question now is whether Type 2 diabetics who don't require insulin will be convinced to shell out for one.