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CGMs in People Without Diabetes: What Evidence Exists

What research shows about wearing a continuous glucose monitor without diabetes: what normal readings look like, whether it changes health or habits, and where evidence is thin.

Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.

Quick answer
In the United States, some continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) can be bought without a prescription and are marketed to people who do not have diabetes. The evidence that wearing one improves health in people without diabetes is limited. Readings are real measurements, but what to do with them is much less clear than in diabetes care.

What readings look like in people without diabetes

Studies of healthy adults give a picture of ordinary glucose patterns.
  • In 153 healthy people aged 7 to 80 wearing one sensor model, mean glucose was 98 to 99 mg/dL for all age groups except those over 60, who averaged slightly higher. [4] [5]
  • The same study found median time above 140 mg/dL was 2.1%, or about 30 minutes a day. [6]
  • In 60 healthy adults (mean age 43), time below 70 mg/dL was a median 1.6% and a mean 3.2%. The authors called this a non-negligible amount of time in the low range. [7] [8]

So brief highs and lows on a sensor happen in people who have no diabetes. These studies used specific sensor models, and results may not carry to other devices. See Baseline Variation and Normal Fluctuation.

Does wearing one help?

  • Overall review: A 2026 systematic review of 23 studies with 1,074 people without diabetes found CGM use improved mean blood glucose compared with controls, with no significant difference in body mass index. [9] [10] [11] It reported glucose improved in people with prediabetes but found no appreciable benefit in healthy people with normal glucose. [12] [13]
  • Habits: another 2026 review (12 studies) of CGM with visible readings found low certainty for diet changes and very low certainty for other outcomes, and concluded large, durable benefits and stand-alone efficacy are not established. [14] [15]
  • Heart disease prevention: a 2025 review of seven studies found direct evidence on hard cardiovascular endpoints remained limited. [16] A separate review noted that data in this population are scarce. [17]
  • Clinical view: a 2026 review found only limited and indirect evidence supporting CGM use in people with type 2 diabetes not on glucose-lowering treatment, or with prediabetes or obesity, and said CGM should answer a specific problem rather than be a default. [18] [19]

Label: promising but limited for short-term diet feedback; insufficient evidence for long-term health benefit in people with normal glucose. A change in a glucose number is not the same as a health outcome; see Biomarker Changes vs Meaningful Health Outcomes.

Possible downsides

Adverse events in the clearance study included local infection, skin irritation and pain or discomfort. [20] Sticky patches can irritate skin. [21] A questionnaire study of 386 Australian women found diet-monitoring app users had greater disordered eating and body dissatisfaction; this was not about glucose sensors and shows association only. [22] [23] Constant numbers can also create worry. See Eating Disorders and Obsessive Tracking.

How to read the claims

A sensor reading says what glucose did, not what a food "did to your health". For caution on single readings, see Why One Reading Does Not Prove a Food Is Harmful. For a broader overview, see Nutrition Tracking and Continuous Glucose Monitors for People Without Diabetes.

Frequently asked questions

Is a CGM approved for people without diabetes in the US?

FDA cleared an over-the-counter CGM in March 2024 for adults 18 and older not using insulin, including those without diabetes who want to see how diet and exercise may affect blood sugar. [1]

Are glucose spikes and dips normal in healthy people?

Some excursions are. In healthy adults, median time above 140 mg/dL was about 2%, [6] and time below 70 mg/dL was a median 1.6%. [8]

Does it help with weight or heart health?

Evidence is limited. A 2026 review found no significant difference in body mass index, [11] and direct evidence on heart outcomes is limited. [16]

Can it replace a doctor's test for diabetes?

This page does not support that. A consumer sensor is not a diagnosis; FDA says not to base medical decisions on it without a provider. [3]

Are there risks?

Skin irritation and, rarely, infection were reported. [20] Diet-tracking can also be a problem for people prone to disordered eating. [23]

More details: evidence, limits and cautions

The details behind this page: cautions, limits of the evidence and where sources disagree. Open any note to read it.

How to read the evidence labels

Labels used on this page: approved or cleared (a regulator has reviewed a device for a stated use), promising but limited, mixed, insufficient evidence, and marketing claim. A label describes the evidence, not whether something is right for you.

What the regulator says
In March 2024 the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cleared the first over-the-counter CGM. FDA described it as intended for anyone 18 or older who does not use insulin, such as people with diabetes treated with oral medicines, or people without diabetes who want to better understand how diet and exercise may affect blood sugar. [1] FDA said the system is not for people with problematic low blood sugar, because it is not designed to alert the user to that. [2] It also said users should not make medical decisions from the output without talking to a healthcare provider. [3] This is a clearance of one named device for a stated use in one country. It is not approval of every wellness claim made for CGMs.
Who should check with a clinician first
References
  1. US FDA. FDA Clears First Over-the-Counter Continuous Glucose Monitor, press release, March 5, 2024. Read 2026-10-22.
  2. US FDA. FDA Clears First Over-the-Counter Continuous Glucose Monitor, press release, March 5, 2024. Read 2026-10-22.
  3. US FDA. FDA Clears First Over-the-Counter Continuous Glucose Monitor, press release, March 5, 2024. Read 2026-10-22.
  4. Shah VN et al. Continuous glucose monitoring profiles in healthy nondiabetic participants: a multicenter prospective study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019. PubMed 31127824. Read 2026-10-22.
  5. Shah VN et al. Continuous glucose monitoring profiles in healthy nondiabetic participants: a multicenter prospective study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019. PubMed 31127824. Read 2026-10-22.
  6. Shah VN et al. Continuous glucose monitoring profiles in healthy nondiabetic participants: a multicenter prospective study. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2019. PubMed 31127824. Read 2026-10-22.
  7. Sofizadeh S et al. Evaluation of reference metrics for continuous glucose monitoring in persons without diabetes and prediabetes. J Diabetes Sci Technol 2022. PubMed 33100059. Read 2026-10-22.
  8. Sofizadeh S et al. Evaluation of reference metrics for continuous glucose monitoring in persons without diabetes and prediabetes. J Diabetes Sci Technol 2022. PubMed 33100059. Read 2026-10-22.
  9. CGM in non-diabetic populations: systematic review of observational and interventional studies with meta-analysis. 2026. PubMed 41588451. Read 2026-10-22.
  10. CGM in non-diabetic populations: systematic review of observational and interventional studies with meta-analysis. 2026. PubMed 41588451. Read 2026-10-22.
  11. CGM in non-diabetic populations: systematic review of observational and interventional studies with meta-analysis. 2026. PubMed 41588451. Read 2026-10-22.
  12. CGM in non-diabetic populations: systematic review of observational and interventional studies with meta-analysis. 2026. PubMed 41588451. Read 2026-10-22.
  13. CGM in non-diabetic populations: systematic review of observational and interventional studies with meta-analysis. 2026. PubMed 41588451. Read 2026-10-22.
  14. Behavioral and psychosocial effects of participant-visible continuous glucose monitoring in adults without diabetes: a systematic review. 2026. PubMed 42796420. Read 2026-10-22.
  15. Behavioral and psychosocial effects of participant-visible continuous glucose monitoring in adults without diabetes: a systematic review. 2026. PubMed 42796420. Read 2026-10-22.
  16. Use of continuous glucose monitoring in non-diabetic individuals for cardiovascular prevention: a systematic review. 2025. PubMed 41246623. Read 2026-10-22.
  17. Wilczek et al. Non-invasive continuous glucose monitoring in patients without diabetes: use in cardiovascular prevention, a systematic review. Sensors 2025. PubMed 39796978. Read 2026-10-22.
  18. Continuous glucose monitoring in type 2 diabetes and beyond: a review. 2026. PubMed 42545686. Read 2026-10-22.
  19. Continuous glucose monitoring in type 2 diabetes and beyond: a review. 2026. PubMed 42545686. Read 2026-10-22.
  20. US FDA. FDA Clears First Over-the-Counter Continuous Glucose Monitor, press release, March 5, 2024. Read 2026-10-22.
  21. NIDDK. Continuous Glucose Monitoring.
  22. Tracking every bite and step: associations between diet and fitness app use, disordered eating, body image concern and compulsive exercise. 2025. PubMed 40409576. Read 2026-10-22.
  23. Tracking every bite and step: associations between diet and fitness app use, disordered eating, body image concern and compulsive exercise. 2025. PubMed 40409576. Read 2026-10-22.
  24. NIDDK. Low Blood Glucose (Hypoglycemia).
Education, not medical advice. This page is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe. Ask a clinician or pharmacist before changing your care, especially if you take medication, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition.