How Dexcom and Abbott are moving beyond diabetes
More than 37 million people in the United States have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is just over 11% of the total population.
The body of a diabetic does not produce enough insulin or does not produce it at all. Those who have the disease should regularly monitor their blood sugar levels. This is traditionally done with glucometers, which diabetics use to prick their fingers over and over again looking for drops of blood. But over the past decade, technologies such as continuous glucose monitoring have emerged.
Abbott And dexcom are the two most dominant players in the space. Both companies showed accelerated growth.
The technology is also being promoted by several health and wellness apps as many companies see benefits for those who don’t have diabetes.
CNBC spoke with Abbott and Dexcom about the technology in continuous glucose monitors and how they see it expanding.