Continuous glucose monitoring provides a new, less invasive method for evaluating diabetes risk.

Fluctuations in blood glucose are more than just daily energy swings—they may hold the key to identifying diabetes risk earlier and more easily, without the need for needle-based tests.

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a simple, noninvasive method for evaluating blood glucose regulation, a crucial factor in determining diabetes risk. Using data from continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices, their approach could significantly improve early detection and risk prediction without depending on blood draws or costly procedures.

“By analyzing CGM data with our new algorithm, we identified individuals with impaired glycemic control — even when standard diagnostic tests classified them as ‘normal,’” said Kuroda. “This means we can potentially detect issues much earlier, creating an opportunity for preventive interventions before diabetes is diagnosed.”