After wearing an Apple Watch for ten years, I finally unlocked my blood sugar with CGM. I recently started using CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring), which involves a small needle in my arm, but I actually don't have diabetes or a family history of it. This product requires a coin-sized device to be attached to the back of the arm. It has a very thin soft tube at the bottom that is implanted under the skin to measure blood sugar levels 24/7. This little device needs to be replaced every two weeks. It sounds a bit scary, but from my own experience, there is absolutely no pain; it's much gentler than I described. I wear it mainly out of curiosity: I want to know how the various foods I eat affect my blood sugar. In this era of rising diabetes rates, is my diet unconsciously impacting my health? 0️⃣ About the background: A trillion-dollar warning According to IDF data, there are nearly 600 million diabetes patients worldwide, a 42% increase compared to ten years ago. Capital is often the most sensitive barometer. As a giant deeply involved in the diabetes sector, Eli Lilly became the first pharmaceutical company in history to surpass a trillion-dollar market value because its diabetes medications hit the common anxiety of this era. Semaglutide has transformed from a diabetes drug into a "weight loss miracle drug," further blurring the lines between disease treatment and body management. Even metformin, the cornerstone of diabetes treatment, has gradually broken out of the simple "disease treatment" category in recent years due to its potential anti-aging effects and ability to extend healthy lifespan, becoming a focal point in the field of longevity science. Why should ordinary people pay attention to diabetes? Because in a modern society overflowing with sugar, metabolic health has become our most expensive invisible asset. Even without a diagnosis, severe fluctuations in blood sugar are constantly draining our energy and emotions. 1️⃣ About the price: From "medical devices" to "mass consumption" Since 2021, China has begun to popularize these products, leading to the emergence of many local brands that have directly made this category mainstream. In fact, this category only started to take off around the year 2000, and it became widely known and used in developed countries mainly in the 2010s. In earlier years, using such products in China meant you could only buy imported ones like Abbott, costing nearly 1000 yuan a month. Now, choosing domestic brands like Silicon-based Dynamic, Fish Leap, and Microtech has brought the price down to around 200 yuan per month. This not only lightens the burden for domestic diabetes patients but also allows us "early adopters" to experience it at a low cost. Even my friends in Singapore buy domestic brands from JD.com and send them over. Because the technology gap isn't that large, the numerical errors are within a controllable range. As long as they don't hit patent walls, these new brands have a chance to make CGM affordable for more people in other countries. 2️⃣ About the technology: The ideal and reality of non-invasive monitoring As a ten-year Apple Watch user, I've heard rumors that Apple has been working on "non-invasive blood glucose monitoring" for many years, but it still seems far off. This shows that it is indeed a necessity, but the technical difficulty is genuinely high. So before Apple gets it right, current home blood glucose monitoring either requires finger pricking for blood samples or involves long-term implantation like CGM. This poses a psychological challenge for users, but fortunately, the current CGM experience has been well done, making it essentially painless. 3️⃣ About the concept: Everyone is a Biohacker Of course, the primary job of CGM is to help diabetics adjust their diet, medication, and insulin dosage. But for ordinary people, it has become an inexpensive "body dashboard." This reminds me of the Netflix German series "Biohackers" and the game "Cyberpunk 2077" that I watched a few years ago. In those works, Biohackers often imply radical gene editing or body modification. But in reality, being a Biohacker doesn't need to be that extreme. It actually refers to quantifying one's health status through data and then adjusting lifestyle, diet, and supplements accordingly. Previously, I used to check my ECG and sleep patterns with my Apple Watch; now I check my blood sugar with CGM. There's nothing mystical about it; I just want to grasp one more data point to be more mindful of what I eat. After all, to become a "super individual," you first need to understand your own body. (Note: Different countries and regions have different regulations; please consult a doctor before use.)

Found the X account of @SibionicsCGM (Silicon-based Dynamics) with over 500 followers 😂