The Dexcom G6 is the well-nigh advanced continuous glucose monitor (CGM) currently available from market place-leading diabetes tech visitor Dexcom based in San Diego, California.

A outset-of-its-kind offer that brought a new course factor to this CGM, the Dexcom G6 offers direct-to-mobile app connectivity without a demand to behave a separate receiver.

Also, the Food and Drug Assistants (FDA) determined this device is accurate enough to non crave regular fingerstick glucose tests to calibrate the system.

Even if you lot're not personally familiar with this impactful and popular diabetes device, y'all may accept seen TV commercials for it or heard about Dexcom's Super Bowl advertisement in February 2021. It featured celebrity vocaliser-actor Nick Jonas, who lives with blazon 1 diabetes and uses Dexcom's production.

If y'all're curious about the Dexcom G6, you're in the correct identify to find out everything you need to know.

Beginning cleared by the FDA in March 2018, the G6 was the first CGM to offer straight-to-smartphone app connectivity without requiring a separate receiver, although users can still opt to utilize one or the other.

It was besides the first CGM to do away with the requirement to take fingerstick tests to calibrate for accuracy.

Hither's a breakdown of what the system entails:

Dexcom CGM sensor on stomach

Transmitter

This is the thin gray role that clicks on acme of the sensor casing worn on the torso. Information technology functions as the encephalon of the system. The G6 transmitter is a third smaller, thinner, and lower contour than the previous model. It has a 3-month battery life.

With congenital-in Bluetooth connectivity, the G6 sends results every five minutes directly to a smartphone app, a separate receiver, or to compatible devices within 20 feet.

No fingersticks required

The G6 does non crave once or twice daily calibrations every bit previous versions did. That means it has a nonadjunctive designation from the FDA, so it tin be used in making insulin dosing and handling decisions without a backup fingerstick test.

What's awesome is that even though the G6 is factory-calibrated, Dexcom has congenital in the capability for users to still enter calibrations manually if they choose to exercise so (for actress confidence in accuracy).

Disposable machine inserter

The G6 offers a whole new inserter design. It's a plastic, spring-loaded, self-independent auto-applicator that requires you to do zilch but press an orange button to inject a new sensor. It's even skillful for one-handed insertions.

The sensors come in boxes of three, preassembled into the auto-inserter, so no needles are exposed. To insert, you pull the adhesive backing, place the unit of measurement on your peel, and push button the button.

The disposal applicator slice volition automatically split from the sensor once it's on your body.

Sensor code

Each Dexcom G6 sensor has a four-number code printed on that adhesive bankroll that you peel off before attaching the sensor to your body.

You demand to enter that code into the mobile app or carve up receiver device simply before insertion, which triggers the "no calibration" functionality.

Notation that if this code is not scanned or entered, the sensor will crave daily calibrations every 12 hours, equally was required with the previous G5 model.

10-24-hour interval wear

The water-resistant G6 sensor is said to be more accurate and reliable and can be worn for 10 days compared with the earlier model'due south 7 days.

There is at present a hard shutoff at the 10-day mark, meaning you won't be able to extend the sensor for prolonged wear, as many people did with previous versions.

The FDA actually laid this out in a letter to Dexcom describing requirements for the G6. In that location are some DIY methods to restart a sensor, but those are considered "off-label" and not endorsed by the FDA.

Young kids

The Dexcom G6 is approved for children ages 2 years and upwards.

Bye, Tylenol outcome

No more than interference from medications containing acetaminophen (Tylenol), which has been an ongoing issue in the CGM world.

The G6 has a special membrane on each sensor that eliminates the trunk chemistry interference from these medications, which previously could give fake high glucose results.

Predictive alerts

You'll get an "Urgent Low Soon" alert whenever the sensor picks up that glucose levels are falling fast and predicts yous'll drop to 55 mg/dL within 20 minutes.

This alarm is required past the FDA and cannot be turned off, unlike the other G6 alerts and alarms that can all be silenced.

Customizable alerts

You tin can set dissimilar alarm preferences for times of day or dark. At that place'southward a "Practice Not Disturb" feature for aural or vibration alerts, though the "Snooze" feature is disabled on important alerts like "Urgent Low" and "Sensor/Transmitter Failure."

Dexcom CGM receiver with glucose reading

Dexcom G6 mobile app

After a two-hr warmup menstruation without whatsoever information, the G6 mobile app starts showing glucose results. It displays a circle with the current existent-time glucose level and appropriate Grey/Red/Yellow colour code depending on whether you're "In Range," "Low," or "High."

A little pointer points in the management y'all're trending. The graph with glucose value dots and other inputted data like insulin, carbs, or exercise is displayed beneath that.

Want to view more than the past 3 hours of CGM data? Turn your smartphone horizontally to see upwardly to 24 hours of data and scroll back appropriately. Data can be shared via the divide Dexcom Follow app with as many as x people, and with a dr.'s office through the Dexcom CLARITY platform.

Both iOS and Android

The G6 app works with both Apple and Android smartphones, only non with every model.

Here's a list of compatible devices, although it's not entirely articulate which devices or wearables are seamlessly uniform from the get-go. Also, Dexcom says the G6 won't yet send data directly to an Apple or Android spotter without the telephone.

See this nifty G6 simulator app available on both iTunes and Google Play to take the Dexcom G6 app for a trial run.

The standard measurement of CGM functioning is known as the mean absolute relative difference (MARD). With this measure out, the lower the number, the better the accuracy.

Clinical information for the Dexcom G6 shows it has a MARD of 9 percent with sustained accuracy over the time a sensor is worn. That puts it ahead of all its direct competitors.

Nevertheless, individual users' experiences may vary. Many people who have used both the Dexcom G6 and Abbott FreeStyle Libre 2 report comparable accuracy.

To view glucose data trends and send reports to your healthcare professionals, you lot'll want to apply Dexcom CLARITY, the visitor's spider web-based software. It'due south bachelor both online and through the Dexcom G6 smartphone app to customers at no cost.

On the G6 app, you merely plough the orientation of your smartphone to horizontal view, and y'all'll see a green icon with four vertical lines in the upper right corner. Clicking on that icon takes you directly to the Dexcom CLARITY app.

CLARITY shows your average glucose for any number of different days, reports for the past 24 hours to 3 months, and comparison charts to help you lot see how you managed during different periods.

For instance, if you lot started on a new insulin pump 1 month agone, you tin easily view how your CGM data for the past month may differ from the weeks or months prior.

2 other popular features of CLARITY include:

  • Time in Range view: It shows the percentage of fourth dimension your glucose levels are in low, target, and loftier ranges. The default "in-target" range is 70 to 180 mg/dL, which may non be what you prepare for your CGM, so you can change the Dexcom CLARITY ranges in Settings to your preferred targets.
  • Glucose Management Indicator (GMI): This approximates the laboratory A1C issue you lot might expect based on your average glucose from the virtually contempo 12 days of CGM data. It's not a precise prediction, only many use this feature to assistance them get a improve idea of where they stand up on that 3-month average event.

You tin can besides grant access to your CLARITY information to your doctor. Just authorize this via the app or on the CLARITY website, which allows your doctor to log in at no price and view your data.

Notably, using the CLARITY overview report is billable to insurance, so your doctor can go reimbursed for interpreting and reviewing your CGM data through Medicare or private insurers. The billing lawmaking (aka CPT code) is 95251.

A large array of individual insurers in the United states of america comprehend Dexcom CGMs. As of mid-2022, Medicare covers the Dexcom G6 also.

Of course, benefits vary past plan, so you lot'll need to check with yours. Just remember that you'll demand a prescription for the G6 transmitter every bit well as the box of sensors, so you lot'll have to work with a healthcare professional before purchasing.

Until bound 2021, Dexcom sold its systems and supplies directly via its website. Merely the company now works with distributors similar Edgepark for online ordering.

Short answer: The Dexcom G6 is a bully tool for any adult or child with any type of diabetes, including those who are pregnant or have gestational diabetes, given how important tight glucose management is during pregnancy.

The benefits of CGM use are well documented. Using a CGM can:

  • help avert astringent high or low blood sugars, especially immediately dangerous hypoglycemic events
  • help guide insulin dosing and safeguard users from mistakes
  • provide a sense of safe and security for people who don't experience dangerous lows coming on (hypoglycemia unawareness)
  • increment glucose "time in range" for meliorate diabetes direction
  • permit users run into and learn from the direct touch on of their food and physical action on their trunk

In fact, CGM is and then powerful for improving overall health outcomes that it'south quickly condign a consumer wellness product.

There's picayune doubt that all people with diabetes can benefit, merely recent studies show that CGMs may exist especially beneficial for sure groups, including teens, young adults, and older adults. This is likely due to the convenience these devices provide.

When the FDA approved the G6 in 2018, the agency created a brand-new category of device that it refers to as "iCGM," or integrated CGM — a organisation designed to connect directly with other compatible devices, such equally a smartphone, insulin pump, or other wear device.

Devices that currently work with the Dexcom G6 include the latest Omnipod tubeless insulin pump and the tubed Tandem t:slim X2 insulin pump with Basal-IQ and Control-IQ closed loop features.

Not sure whether your device is compatible with Dexcom G6? Y'all tin can check that out hither.

What'due south exciting is that the time to come Dexcom G7 model will have fifty-fifty more advanced features and integration with automated diabetes direction systems.

Based on customer reviews from consumer sites similar the Better Business organization Agency and Trustpilot, people are generally satisfied with the Dexcom G6. They find that it helps them improve and manage their glucose levels. The most common complaints are those relating to customer service, insurance claims, and deliveries.

Many online reviewers say the Dexcom G6 is extremely reliable and accurate. Simply others report the transmitters do not e'er last the full 90 days and sensors also fail early before the full x days.

Equally a effect, a common complaint is having to spend a lot of time contacting Dexcom's technical support, either by telephone, text, or online, to go a replacement sensor sent within 3 to 5 days.

Users often share the following tips for the G6:

  • Brand sure you're hydrated to ensure better glucose data and sensor reliability.
  • Use some nasal allergy spray on your pare and a medical adhesive wipe to prepare for insertion. This helps avert skin irritation and keeps the sensor on longer.
  • Even though you can enter fingersticks to calibrate the G6, it'due south non required. Inbound multiple results in a brusk menses of time can cause the CGM to get confused. Look at least xxx minutes if it loses a bespeak or is trying to recalculate your glucose levels to encounter whether it can re-establish a solid connection with authentic data.

There are several other CGM systems on the marketplace that are like to the Dexcom G6. Here are some to consider:

A key part of managing diabetes involves checking blood sugars, or glucose levels.

In type one diabetes (T1D), a person's pancreas does not produce insulin. In blazon two diabetes (T2D), the body may not make insulin correctly anymore.

For either T1D or T2D, making sure glucose levels stay as level as possible is the goal. Sometimes insulin or diabetes medications are used based on the type of diabetes and personal needs. Many factors, such as food, exercise, insulin, medications, stress, etc., affect glucose levels.

Glucose level targets may vary for anybody based on their unique needs.

But the 2022 standards from the American Diabetes Association (ADA) advise that the typical blood sugar range for (nonpregnant) adults with diabetes are:

  • betwixt 80 and 130 mg/dL before meals
  • lower than 180 mg/dL within 1 or ii hours subsequently eating

Ranges vary for children younger than 18 years sometime, older adults, and those with chronic medical atmospheric condition or gestational diabetes.

Yous can always talk with your dr. and diabetes intendance team well-nigh your personal goals for glucose levels.

Merely meeting with your diabetes care team and endocrinologist may be especially helpful if you're experiencing any trends in higher or lower glucose levels, particularly if y'all experience any hyperglycemia symptoms that might signal dangerous diabetic ketoacidosis.

If y'all're interested in trying out the Dexcon G6 CGM before buying 1 yourself through insurance, you may also desire to talk with your diabetes intendance team near the possibility of using a "blinded" professional person version through their office.

This would permit your care team to view your glucose levels and patterns, but it would not give you admission to that data lonely.

How long does the Dexcom G6 device last?

You can wear the Dexcom G6 CGM on your trunk for up to ten days before needing to replace the sensor. Withal, you may lose the Bluetooth data bespeak at times.

The sensor can also fail early before that 10-day article of clothing time is finished.

The Dexcom G6 uses a separate transmitter that clicks into each sensor on your body, and the transmitter lasts for ninety days.

Do doctors recommend the Dexcom G6?

Yes. Doctors recommend CGM engineering science (including the Dexcom G6) for people with type one and type 2 diabetes because it provides a more consummate motion-picture show of glucose trends than traditional claret sugar meters.

Do you lot need an net connectedness to utilise the Dexcom Follow app?

Yeah, y'all need an internet connexion (either through Wi-Fi or a cellular data connectedness) for both the Dexcom Share app as well every bit the Dexcom Follow app to work correctly.

What does the Dexcom G6 toll?

You can purchase Dexcom G6 supplies in large retail pharmacies across the Us, including CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens. Cash prices vary. Virtually locations quote the price for a Dexcom G6 transmitter at just nether $300, while a three-pack box of G6 sensors runs roughly $400.

Crude retail costs per yr without whatever insurance factored in:

  • a total of $1,200 for Dexcom G6 transmitters (each lasts 90 days, so four transmitters per yr)
  • a full of $four,800 for a box of three Dexcom G6 sensors (each sensor lasts 10 days)
  • estimated total: $6,000 per year, or $500 a month

Dexcom G6 supplies are also bachelor at Costco, with discount prices for store members who also sign upward for Costco's free pharmacy program.

The Dexcom G6 is the latest and nearly popular CGM on the market from a company that's been developing CGM technology for nearly twenty years.

Information technology offers real-time glucose information, complete with a range of alarms and customizable alerts to predict dangerous out-of-range glucose levels, and also allows for more proactive diabetes management.

With its piece of cake-to-use form factor, loftier accuracy ratings, and compatibility with other diabetes devices, the Dexcom G6 can be an excellent choice for anyone with diabetes to consider.

Notwithstanding, it can be quite costly likewise equally frustrating when the product doesn't deliver as promised.