Glucose sensor: This is behind the health trend

One of these apps is Hello Inside, a German start-up that offers a platform for metabolic health and uses blood glucose monitoring to encourage people to understand what is going on inside them and what their body is signaling to them.

In addition to the app itself, the sensor plays a key role in my two-week self-experiment. The so-called Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a small device that monitors blood sugar levels and measures them in real time. The small sensor, with a diameter of 21 millimeters and a height of 2.9 millimeters and a flexible filament of less than 0.4 millimeters that is inserted just under the skin, is placed on the back of the upper arm and measures blood sugar levels using the tissue fluid. This is the fluid that surrounds the cells and therefore provides a similar measurement to the values ​​measured directly in the blood. The small but subtle difference: Tissue glucose never corresponds to blood sugar, but tends to be slightly delayed. This means that the measured values ​​do not reflect blood sugar exactly, but rather provide a representation of it about five to 25 minutes later.

Every minute, the data from the sensor is collected by the associated app (“FreeStyle Libre 3” app) and transferred to the Hello Inside app for analysis. Then we move on to the concrete evaluation and interpretation of the data and possible tips and insights from the values.

Glucose sensor: How to attach and wear it

Admittedly, I was a little nervous before attaching the sensor. Numerous reels, YouTube videos and testimonials later, I dared to attach the sensor to my arm on a Friday morning on an empty stomach (the recommendation is not to eat anything for two hours before and after attaching the sensor). The process itself is easy to carry out, and the included explanation and video tutorial will help clear up any uncertainties. Nevertheless, it must be said that it is an invasive procedure. Finally, a tiny filament is inserted under the skin. This also explains why I didn’t want to film my face when I attached the sensor. But I can reassure all future people who want to track their glucose levels. It really doesn’t hurt at all. The soft spot on the back of the upper arm is not very sensitive to pain, and the automatic mechanism for attaching the sensor is quick, straightforward and does not hurt. For me – for comparison – a finger prick test on the fingertip is more painful than attaching the sensor.

After attaching the sensor, I scan it with the corresponding app and the first measurement, calibration and initialization takes place. After an hour the time has come and I can officially track minute-by-minute measurements and see my current glucose value in the app. The data from the sensor app is transferred directly to the Hello Inside app, and there I can enter more detailed information such as descriptions of my activities, e.g. lunch, work-out, sleep, and add details that help with analysis and interpretation can. In this way, certain fluctuations in the glucose curve can be understood and explained.

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Glucose sensor: My findings

In just one day it was noticeable to me how consistent and stable my curve was. It should be said that I eat relatively healthily and eat little sweets and don’t eat very large portions. However, I was surprised that even after a glass of red wine with dinner, my curve remained relatively constant. One explanation for this could be that I was physically active both before and after and went for a walk with my dog, i.e. I was moving.