When glucose sensors first became available in clinical trials some 2 decades ago, I decided to wear a sensor to compare my glucose levels as a non-diabetic individual with glucose levels of my patients. I was excited to have this new tool, which measured 288 glucose readings a day and could be used 3 days at a time, as a resource for patients, particularly for those with blood glucose levels that had been difficult to control.

During my training as an endocrinologist, we didn’t have glucose meters. In the hospital, we used glucose strips that required drawing a significant amount of blood, then waiting and wiping the blood off. You determined glucose range based on how dark the strip became.