Understanding the differences between Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) and traditional glucose monitoring methods can help you decide which approach is best for tracking your glucose levels.
1️⃣ What is a CGM?
A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) is a wearable device that automatically tracks glucose levels throughout the day and night.
The sensor is applied to the back of the arm and measures glucose levels from interstitial fluid (the fluid between your cells).
How CGMs work:
A small sensor sits just under the skin and measures glucose continuously
Readings are sent automatically to a smartphone or compatible device
Many modern CGMs transmit data via Bluetooth, requiring no manual scanning after activation
CGMs provide trend data, showing how glucose changes over time
2️⃣ What is traditional glucose monitoring?
Traditional glucose monitoring uses a finger-prick blood glucose meter (BGM) to measure glucose at specific moments in time.
How traditional monitoring works:
A lancet is used to prick the fingertip and obtain a blood sample
The blood is applied to a test strip and read by a glucose meter
Each test provides a single glucose reading at that moment
Multiple finger-prick tests are needed throughout the day to understand trends
3️⃣ Key differences between CGMs and traditional glucose monitoring
Feature | CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) | Traditional Glucose Monitoring |
How it measures | Interstitial fluid (under the skin) | Blood glucose (finger prick) |
Frequency of readings | Continuous, day and night | Only when manually tested |
Data & insights | Trends, patterns, and variability | Single point-in-time readings |
Alerts & notifications | Some systems provide high/low alerts | No automatic alerts |
Ease of use | Applied once and worn for up to ~14 days | Requires multiple finger pricks |
Pain & convenience | Minimally invasive | Repeated finger pricks |
Best suited for | Continuous tracking and insights | Occasional spot checks |
4️⃣ Which option is right for you?
CGMs are ideal if you want continuous data, real-time trends, and deeper insights into how your body responds to food, exercise, stress, and sleep
Traditional glucose monitoring may be sufficient if you only need occasional glucose checks
For people without diabetes, CGMs can still provide powerful insights into metabolic health and lifestyle patterns.
5️⃣ Why Vively uses CGMs
At Vively, we use CGMs to provide real-time metabolic insights that help you:
Understand how different foods affect your glucose
See the impact of exercise, sleep, and stress
Identify patterns and areas for improvement
Make more informed lifestyle decisions
CGMs allow us to deliver insights that simply aren’t possible with occasional finger-prick testing.