Abbott announced U.S. availability of Lingo, the company's first continuous glucose monitoring system available without a prescription. The Lingo system includes a biosensor and a mobile app designed for consumers who want to improve their overall health and wellness. Lingo is based on Abbott's FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring technology.
Abbott's consumer biowearable, Lingo, is available for consumers 18 years and older not on insulin. Lingo tracks glucose in real-time and provides personal insights and coaching to help people build healthy habits, retrain their metabolism and improve their overall well-being.
Health benefits of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and limiting glucose spikes
Compelling published research shows that limiting glucose spikes and improving overall management of glucose, both in the short term and over time, offer a number of health benefits for people who do not have diabetes. When equipped with real-time data and insights from a CGM, individuals can work towards these goals, experiencing benefits such as:
- Being proactive about future health: While both average and fasting glucose levels are important markers for health, glucose extremes and post-meal spikes might matter more. These specific metrics are risk factors for chronic health conditions such as insulin resistance, metabolic disease and heart disease.
- Weight management: Research has shown that with insights from a CGM, individuals had better success adhering to low-glycemic and low-carb diets, both of which are effective approaches for weight loss — even without intentional calorie restriction. Using a CGM provides more real-time insights on glucose, an individual's unique response to foods and habits, prompting dietary changes that support steady glucose and can lead to improvements in metabolic health and weight.
- Improving sleep: Low-glycemic diets and habits that nourish steady glucose are associated with improvements in both sleep quality and length of sleep. And better sleep can support steady glucose the following day, empowering better choices to maintain steady glucose. Using a CGM can highlight food choices that minimize glucose spikes, providing a better understanding of glucose patterns that support sleep.
- Bettering mood: Research shows that a low-glycemic diet, which helps stabilize glucose, improves mood and can even lessen symptoms of depression. Using a CGM like Lingo can help provide a better understanding of an individual's glucose responses to food and encourage adherence to a low-glycemic diet, which may provide mental health benefits.
The Lingo system combines a biosensor that is worn on the back of the arm for up to 14 days and continuously streams glucose data to the Lingo app on a smart phone – translating the body's reaction to food, exercise and life's daily stressors.
Key features of the Lingo experience:
- Glucose graph: A graph of glucose reactions updates in real time based on continuous readings from the Lingo biosensor.
- Lingo Count: The body's glucose spikes are translated into one, easy-to-understand metric.
- Food and Activity Logging: Log meals and exercise for deeper insights. Sync Lingo with the Apple Health app to log workouts automatically.
- Personal Insights: Tailored recommendations are based on foods logged, time of day and accrued Lingo Count.
- Lingo Challenges: Create new habits and earn badges as challenges are completed and new healthy habits are built.
Lingo is available in three convenient options:
- Learn (two weeks): Get an understanding of how your body responds to your daily food and exercise choices ($49, one biosensor worn for up to 14 days).
- Build (four weeks): Develop a deeper knowledge of your metabolism and experiment with habits designed to help improve metabolic health ($89, two biosensors, each biosensor worn for up to 14 days).
- Transform (12 weeks): Create consistent routines, improve your metabolism, and track your progress toward long-term goals with continuous accountability ($249, six biosensors, each biosensor worn for up to 14 days).
Abbott announced FDA clearance of Lingo in June. The Lingo app is available in the App Store. Lingo is also available in the UK.
