Study Finds Glucose Monitors Overestimate Blood Sugar in Non-Diabetics

Researchers warn that inaccuracies in popular devices may lead to unnecessary dietary restrictions for healthy individuals.

A University of Bath study found continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) overestimated blood sugar levels in non-diabetic individuals by up to 400% compared to finger-prick tests.
The research highlights that CGMs, originally designed for diabetics, may misclassify healthy foods like fruits and smoothies as causing harmful glucose spikes.
Experts caution that non-diabetics relying on CGMs risk making unnecessary dietary changes or developing poor eating habits based on inaccurate data.
The inaccuracies stem from CGMs measuring glucose in the fluid around cells rather than directly in the blood, leading to delays and discrepancies.
While CGMs remain valuable tools for diabetics, researchers and nutritionists recommend healthy individuals interpret CGM data with skepticism or avoid their use entirely.