People without diabetes can now buy a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) without a prescription. The FDA has cleared Dexcom Stelo and Abbott Lingo for over-the-counter (OTC) use by people not on insulin. Biolinq Shine, which shows glucose as a color instead of a number, was cleared for OTC use in September 2026. People use these devices to see how food, exercise, sleep, and stress affect their glucose.
The evidence behind that use is still thin. CGMs show clear benefits in diabetes and some early benefits in prediabetes, but a 2026 JAMA Internal Medicine patient page states that “for people without diabetes, there is no good evidence that CGM improves health or prevents diabetes.” This guide covers OTC devices, what normal glucose looks like on a CGM, what the research shows, the risks, and what it means for companies building CGM products for people without diabetes.
Can you get a CGM without diabetes?
Yes. There are two routes:
- Over the counter. Stelo and Lingo are sold online without a prescription for people who don’t use insulin. Stelo is also available through Oura’s online store.
- Prescription. A clinician can prescribe a prescription CGM, but insurance coverage usually depends on a diabetes diagnosis. Medicare’s CGM coverage policy, LCD L33822, requires that the patient has diabetes. Most people without diabetes pay out of pocket. OTC CGMs are often eligible for health savings account (HSA) and flexible spending account (FSA) funds.
OTC CGMs in the US
Device | Maker | FDA status | Intended users | Wear time | Display |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stelo | Dexcom | Ages 2 and older not using insulin | Up to 15 days | Glucose values and trends in an app | |
Lingo | Abbott | Cleared May 29, 2024 (K233655) | Ages 18 and older not on insulin | Up to 14 days | Glucose values and trends in an app |
Libre Rio | Abbott | Cleared June 7, 2024 (K233861) | Adults with type 2 diabetes not using insulin | Not confirmed | US launch not announced |
Shine | Biolinq | Ages 22 and older not on insulin | Not confirmed | Color on the sensor (blue 70 to 180 mg/dL, yellow above 180, red below 70); more detail in an app |
The FDA also cleared Signos (K250106, March 21, 2025), an OTC app that uses the Stelo sensor and is indicated as possibly “useful in helping users to maintain a healthy weight.”
Shine’s OTC labeling states that the sensor does not provide alerts or alarms and must not be used for hypoglycemia awareness.
How much do OTC CGMs cost?
List prices checked on the makers’ websites on November 8, 2026:
Device | Price |
|---|---|
Stelo | $99 for 2 sensors (about one month), one-time purchase; $89 per month by subscription; $252 for a 3-month subscription |
Lingo | $54 for a 2-week plan with 1 sensor, no auto-renewal |
Prices and plans change often, so check the maker’s site before buying.
What a normal CGM graph looks like without diabetes
The best reference data comes from a 2019 multicenter study by Shah et al. in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, which followed 153 healthy participants aged 7 to 80 on a CGM.
Measure | Healthy participants (median or mean) |
|---|---|
Mean glucose | 98 to 99 mg/dL (104 mg/dL in people over 60) |
Time 70 to 140 mg/dL | 96% |
Time below 70 mg/dL | 1.1%, about 15 minutes a day |
Time above 140 mg/dL | 2.1%, about 30 minutes a day |
Coefficient of variation | 17% |
A normal CGM graph without diabetes is mostly flat, with short rises after meals that return to baseline. Brief readings above 140 mg/dL or below 70 mg/dL are normal and don’t, by themselves, mean anything is wrong.
Patterns vary between people. A 2018 Stanford study in PLoS Biology identified “glucotypes” and found that some people without a diabetes diagnosis showed high variability, with glucose “reaching prediabetic and diabetic ranges 15% and 2% of the time.” What those patterns mean for long-term health is still unknown.
For definitions of time in range, GMI, and variability, see our guide to CGM metrics.
What the evidence shows
Prediabetes
The strongest early signal is in prediabetes. In a small randomized trial (Nutrients, 2024), 30 adults with prediabetes and overweight used either a visible CGM with nutrition therapy or a blinded CGM for 30 days. In the visible CGM group, time between 70 and 140 mg/dL rose from 70.8% to 80.1%, and mean glucose fell from 129.1 to 121.6 mg/dL. The control group did not change significantly.
A 2026 meta-analysis of 23 studies in 1,074 people without diabetes (Liao et al., European Journal of Medical Research) concluded that “CGM improved glycemic control in individuals with prediabetes, whereas no appreciable glycemic benefit was observed in healthy normoglycemic populations.” It found no significant change in BMI.
Weight management
Results are mixed. Two small 2026 trials reported more weight loss with CGM: one in 49 adults maintaining weight loss over 24 weeks, and one in 35 women with overweight or obesity over 12 weeks. A 2024 meta-analysis of 25 randomized trials (Richardson et al., International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity) found that CGM feedback lowered A1C slightly, “with non-significant effects on time above range, BMI, and weight.”
People without diabetes or prediabetes
For healthy people, the evidence of benefit is weak. A 2026 JAMA Internal Medicine patient page states that “the meaning of blood glucose fluctuations in people without diabetes is uncertain.” In a 2025 study of 972 adults who wore a Dexcom G6 (Rodriguez et al., Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics), CGM metrics in people with normal glucose “were largely unrelated to HbA1c.”
Athletes and fitness
Athletes use CGMs to time fueling around training and racing, but published evidence on performance is limited. The consumer market has also been unstable: Supersapiens, an early sports CGM service, stopped shipping sensors and ended memberships in February 2024.
Other areas Sequenex has covered
Researchers and companies are also exploring glucose data in menopause, hormone tracking, mental health care, and GLP-1 therapy support. Most of these uses are early, and few have outcome data yet.
Risks and limitations
- Accuracy at normal glucose levels. In a 2026 study of 39 adults without diabetes wearing OTC CGMs (Prakash et al., Journal of Diabetes Science and Technology), the mean absolute relative difference (MARD) was 12.9%, and only 66.5% of readings fell within 15% or 15 mg/dL of the reference. The authors called the devices “less reliable for exact-value agreement.”
- No agreed interpretation. A 2025 study led by Boston University researchers found that “there is no consensus in how clinical experts interpret CGM reports from people without this disease.”
- Distress. In a 2025 study of 56 adults not on insulin (Richardson et al., Obesity Research & Clinical Practice), 68% reported fearing type 2 diabetes when they saw high readings, and distress was correlated with eating disorder symptoms.
- Overinterpretation. A 2023 commentary in Practical Diabetes warned about “pathologising normal post-prandial glucose excursions,” such as restricting healthy foods to flatten normal rises after meals.
How OTC CGMs are regulated
OTC CGMs are FDA-cleared medical devices, not wellness gadgets. Stelo and Lingo were cleared as integrated CGMs (iCGMs) under 21 CFR 862.1355. Shine was classified under a new regulation, 21 CFR 862.1359, for glucose range monitoring systems.
The line between a wellness product and a medical device matters for anyone building glucose products:
- General wellness. FDA’s general wellness guidance, updated January 6, 2026, allows some noninvasive products that estimate physiologic values to be wellness products if the values are validated. Its Example 8 describes a glucose wearable contraindicated for people with diabetes and prediabetes. Its wellness claim could qualify “provided the product has validated values for blood glucose,” but because it uses microneedles, it “penetrates the stratum corneum and is therefore not a low risk general wellness product.”
- Smartwatches and rings. In a February 2024 safety communication, FDA told consumers: “Do not buy or use smartwatches or smart rings that claim to measure blood glucose levels.” No smartwatch or ring is FDA-authorized to measure glucose on its own.
See our guides to wellness vs medical device regulation and OTC medical device commercialization.
What this means for companies building CGM products
Users without diabetes need different software from people who manage diabetes every day. The research above points to a few design priorities.
- Context, not alarms. Normal glucose rises after meals. Apps for people without diabetes should explain normal ranges and avoid framing short excursions as problems.
- Honest accuracy messaging. Present readings and trends without implying lab-level precision, especially for single values.
- Distress-aware design. Avoid scores and messages that push users toward restrictive eating, and point users to a clinician when patterns warrant it.
- Claims that match the clearance. Marketing and in-app claims must stay within the device’s indications. A wellness positioning has its own limits.
- Connected data. Glucose means more when paired with activity, sleep, meals, and other wearable data, which requires reliable integration. See our guide to CGM data integration.
- OTC usability. OTC devices are used without clinician training, so labeling and app design must work for first-time users. See IEC 62366 usability engineering.
Frequently asked questions
Is a CGM worth it for people without diabetes?
For people with prediabetes, early trials show improvements in glucose. For healthy people, there is no good evidence that a CGM improves health or prevents diabetes, according to a 2026 JAMA Internal Medicine patient page. A CGM can show how food and activity affect glucose, but readings in people without diabetes are hard to interpret.
Can I get a CGM without diabetes?
Yes. Dexcom Stelo and Abbott Lingo are sold over the counter without a prescription for people who don’t use insulin. A clinician can also prescribe a CGM, but insurance usually covers CGMs only with a diabetes diagnosis.
Will insurance cover a CGM for people without diabetes?
Usually not. Medicare’s CGM policy requires a diabetes diagnosis, and most commercial plans have similar criteria. OTC CGMs are typically paid out of pocket, though they are often HSA- and FSA-eligible.
Which CGM is most accurate for people without diabetes?
No head-to-head study has settled this. A 2026 study of OTC CGMs in 39 adults without diabetes found a MARD of 12.9%, with accuracy lower after sugar intake. Accuracy figures from different studies cannot be compared directly.
What is a normal glucose level on a CGM for people without diabetes?
In a 2019 study of 153 healthy people, mean glucose was 98 to 99 mg/dL, rising to 104 mg/dL in people over 60. Glucose stayed between 70 and 140 mg/dL about 96% of the time, with about 30 minutes a day above 140 mg/dL and about 15 minutes below 70 mg/dL.
What is the cheapest CGM for people without diabetes?
As of November 8, 2026, Abbott Lingo’s entry plan costs $54 for 2 weeks, and Dexcom Stelo costs $89 per month by subscription or $99 for a one-time purchase of 2 sensors. Prices change often, so check the makers’ websites.
Build CGM products for new users with Sequenex
CGMs for people without diabetes create a new kind of product: glucose data for users without clinical training, often combined with other wearable data, under OTC or wellness rules that limit what the product can claim.
Sequenex builds CGM apps, data platforms, and dashboards for diabetes and connected device companies. See our biosensor and CGM software development services, or contact us to discuss your project.
This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Talk to a healthcare professional before using a CGM to make health decisions.
