Almost good enough for an artificial pancreas
I don’t think I told you yet, but I touched the future this summer. I held it in my hands. Stroked its buttons. A gem-like CGM prototype that’s absolutely frickin’ amazing. How amazing? Well, let me detour for a moment into (gasp!) math so you can understand. Don’t panic, it’s more math vocabulary, than math. I want you to meet my friend, MARD.
MARD stands for Mean Absolute Relative Difference. Crudely put, when it comes to Continuous Glucose Monitors, MARD is the difference between what blood sugar really is and what the CGM thinks it is. So basically, it’s a measurement of how accurate any CGM system is.
How accurate does a CGM need to be? It depends on what you want to do with it. CGM wiz Dr. Howard Zisser told me a while back “Give me a MARD of 10% and I’ll give you an artificial pancreas.” So that’s our bench mark. 10% gives you what your heart desires most. Short of a cure.
The jewel I touched, held, fondled, worshipped (and was tempted to steal) this summer had a MARD of 13%. Not good enough for an artificial pancreas, but damn fucking good. Better than most test strips, actually.
And when will we eventually see this wonder of new technology?
Well, how does next week sound to you?
Or maybe the week after next. But it’s here. It’s FDA approved. It’s shipping soon.
Want to know more about it? Want to know all about it? Stay tuned for an in-depth day-by-day month-long review of the latest and greatest CGM like only LifeAfterDx can bring you. The Dexcom G-4 Platinum review is coming soon to a computer screen near you. (Right. That would be the one right in front of your face.)
posted by Wil | 1:50 PM
6 Comments:
I've already ordered my upgrade in pink. I look forward to your month-long review of it. I hope the Gen4 is great and your experience does not burst my bubble of excitement.
Oh yes, I want to know more and can't wait until the display is on the pump! I've tried the "other" brand and have discovered that yes, I'm greedy. I want accuracy, ease of callibration, reasonable sensor life, and one screen shopping. C'mon FDA!
Oooh! Can't wait to hear your thoughts about it! Very exciting!
Thank you so much Wil! My T1 daughter, now 10, just started on the Dex about a week ago, then this happened. Dexcom is upgrading her for FREE and sending it out in early November to us.
I love your reviews - so don't hold back (I know you won't!). I am so excited about this piece of technology for our kiddos. I believe it's life-changing.
Ordered mine in blue, and looking forward to it. I'd played with one last year and this year, to look at the design and screens. I'm impressed, and the better accuracy will make it worth paying the $399 upgrade myself.
Can't wait to read more about it from you.
What is the MARD of Medtronics enlite sensor and of Abbots navigator?
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