Continuous glucose monitors crossed over the counter sales of $1.4 billion in the six months since the Food and Drug Administration cleared Dexcom Stelo and Abbott Lingo for non prescription consumer use. The clearance came in October 2025. Stelo accounted for $812 million of the combined volume and Lingo accounted for $587 million. The remaining $14 million came from smaller competitors entering the over the counter category. The category did not exist before October 2025 and is now the fastest growing wearable health subcategory after smart rings.
The product is a small adhesive sensor worn on the upper arm that measures interstitial glucose every minute and reports to a smartphone app. Stelo runs $89 per two week sensor or $49 per sensor on subscription. Lingo runs $89 per two week sensor or $39 per sensor on subscription. The sensors are not reimbursable through insurance for non diabetics, which means the cost is fully out of pocket. The price point is one factor that has slowed adoption among the cost sensitive segment of the consumer wellness market.
The user base profile is not what either company expected. Roughly 38 percent of buyers are women between thirty five and fifty four. The second largest segment is men between forty five and sixty four at 24 percent. The original product positioning targeted athletes and biohackers, but those segments combined account for only 18 percent of buyers. The largest single use case across all buyers is understanding which foods produce sharp glucose spikes and which do not. The second most cited use case is sleep quality and the relationship between late evening eating and overnight glucose patterns.
The data consumers are generating is creating a new research opportunity. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study in March drawing on anonymized data from 14,200 Stelo users over twelve weeks. The same food produced very different glucose responses across individuals. White rice spiked sharply in 47 percent of users, moderately in 31 percent, and flat in 22 percent. Pasta showed a similar pattern. Banana, often demonized in low carb circles, produced a moderate response in 71 percent of users.
The clinical use case for non diabetic monitoring remains contested. The American Diabetes Association published a position statement in February that did not endorse routine continuous monitoring for non diabetic adults but acknowledged the practice may identify pre diabetes earlier than annual A1c tests. The position drew criticism from metabolic health researchers who argue that earlier identification of dysglycemia is the strongest preventive lever against type 2 diabetes. The debate is unresolved and the FDA cleared the products without resolving it.
Habit change is where the consumer benefit shows up. The American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine published a randomized trial in April comparing 247 adults using Stelo for twelve weeks against 184 adults receiving standard nutrition counseling. The CGM group lost 4.7 pounds on average against 1.8 pounds in the counseling group. Hemoglobin A1c dropped 0.21 points in the CGM group and 0.04 in the counseling group. The behavior change was concentrated in evening eating timing, snack composition, and meal sequencing rather than caloric restriction.
Levels Health, which sells software that pairs with the over the counter sensors, reached 412,000 paid subscribers as of April 30. The Levels subscription runs $199 annually and provides analytics, food logging, and personalized recommendations on top of the raw sensor data. Veri, a competitor that operates similarly, reached 187,000 paid subscribers. Both companies report retention rates above 71 percent at twelve months, which is higher than most consumer health subscription products. The retention is the signal that the use case is sticking rather than just being a novelty.
The eldercare opportunity is starting to emerge. Adults over sixty five face higher risks of unrecognized hypoglycemia, particularly those on insulin or sulfonylurea medications. The over the counter availability lets family members monitor a parent or grandparent without a prescription. CVS and Walgreens both reported in first quarter earnings calls that intergenerational household purchases of CGMs ran higher than expected. Walgreens added a CGM consultation service at 1,847 stores in March aimed at the eldercare segment.
The Nashville market shows uneven adoption. Vanderbilt Health runs a metabolic health program that includes Stelo monitoring and reached 1,247 enrolled patients by April. Saint Thomas Health launched a smaller program in March for pre diabetic adults. Independent functional medicine practices in the area report waitlists for CGM coaching that run six to ten weeks. The cost barrier remains the primary friction. A twelve week monitoring program with coaching support runs $480 to $920 out of pocket, which is meaningful outside the highest income brackets.