Skip to main content

Diabetics can stop pricking their finger thanks to the FreeStyle Libre

Introducing the FreeStyle Libre system. Now approved in the US!
Monitoring your blood sugar level no longer requires you to draw blood. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a device that will bring diabetes patients into the 21st century of at-home medical care. It’s called the FreeStyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System, and it promises to allow diabetes patients to check glucose levels “with a painless, one-second scan instead of routine fingersticks.”

This is the first continuous glucose monitoring system capable of being used by adult diabetes patients without calibration using a blood sample. Instead, users insert a small sensor wire under the skin, and a wand-like device is waved atop the sensor to report glucose levels.

Recommended Videos

The small sensor promises to be both painless to apply and easy to wear, and it is water resistant, which means you can keep it on throughout your day. In fact, the FreeStyle Libre sensor is meant to stay on your body for up to 10 days, allowing for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). The benefit of this method, the FreeStyle team notes, is that it allows for glucose levels to be tracked continuously, which means patients can observe patterns and trends that could result in better diabetes management.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

“The FDA is always interested in new technologies that can help make the care of people living with chronic conditions, such as diabetes, easier and more manageable,” said Donald St. Pierre, acting director of the Office of In Vitro Diagnostics and Radiological Health and deputy director of new product evaluation in the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “This system allows people with diabetes to avoid the additional step of fingerstick calibration, which can sometimes be painful, but still provides necessary information for treating their diabetes — with a wave of the mobile reader.”

This approval could be a boon for the more than 29 million Americans living with diabetes. In conducting their testing, the FDA reviewed the FreeStyle Libre’s performance by comparing its readings to those from an “established laboratory method used for analysis of blood glucose.” Clearly, these results were comparable to one another. The FDA does note that potential risks include hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia should data be inaccurate (though this is a risk with any such reader), as well as mild skin irritation around the sensor’s insertion site.

The FreeStyle Libre should be coming to a pharmacy near you in the near future, but pricing has yet to be revealed.

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
The best health and fitness apps for iPhone in 2025: 15 best ones
Apple's Fitness app on the iPhone 14 Pro.

"Fitness" can mean a lot of things. For some people, it's being able to run far or fast. For others, it's being able to lift heavy things and lower them back down again. Others may simply want to keep trim or eat healthily. It may even mean getting a great night's sleep, or making sure your mental wellness is at its best. Whatever fitness means for you, we have a list of apps that cover all the possible bases. These apps excel in a number of different areas, but what they all generally have in common is that they use iOS' powerful tech to monitor and analyze your performance. As a result, they can help you progress along your fitness journey.

With 2025 now upon us, getting in shape -- and staying in shape -- is at the top of your list of New Year's resolutions. These apps will help you kick the new year off on a good foot and maintain your physical fitness for the rest of the year and every year after. You can pair the apps with other tech for best results, so make sure to check out our lists of the best fitness trackers and the best running headphones. Here are the best fitness apps for the iPhone in 2025.
Apple Fitness

Read more
GlassesUSA Black Friday Sale: Get 30% off prescription glasses
GlassesUSA frames close up with multiple styles.

Need a new pair of glasses? Want to stock up for your holiday trips before you head to meet up with your relatives? Typically, you'd have to wait until the official Black Friday event, the day after Thanksgiving, or maybe even Cyber Monday, but that's not the case this year. Alongside a variety of the best online glasses deals, GlassesUSA is hosting a huge Black Friday sale early, allowing you to save big on prescription glasses and frames with no waiting necessary. Of course, we always recommend browsing the sale of your own accord to see what's discounted because we couldn't possibly cover everything, nor could we know precisely what you're looking for. That said, we've called out quite a few of the best deals below.

What to shop in the early GlassesUSA Black Friday sale
Rightfully dubbed the Black Friday Early Bird sale, now's an excellent time to save up to 30% on prescription glasses. Moreover, GlassesUSA is truly dedicated to helping you find the perfect pair. Not only are there a ton of brands and styles to choose from, but you'll benefit from free shipping and returns and a money-back guarantee if you're not satisfied. You can even take to find the correct pair for your face. Ray-Ban, Oakley, DKNY, Prada, Ottoto, Muse, they are all here and available to shop, most discounted even. Men's and Women's eyewear are on sale, too, so there's something for everyone.

Read more
The best DNA testing kit Black Friday deals you can shop now
Daughter gifting Ancestry Gift Membership to family

DNA tests are awesome holiday gifts for your family. Together you can all build your family tree and discover your genetic makeup. Unfortunately the tests are pretty expensive, but at least you only need to test once. There are some nice Black Friday deals going on today that will save you a significant amount of money on single tests or bundles. Check out our favorite below, then more more deals worth checking out under that.
The best DNA testing kit Black Friday deal
AncestryDNA Genetic Test Kit -- $59, was $99

The single person AncestryDNA Genetic Test Kit is our pick for the best Black Friday deal already available. The kit normally costs $99, but right now it's down to just $59. That's a nice discount of $30 on one of the best DNA tests available. We're not sure how long this deal will last, so you should grab it soon.

Read more