Dexcom’s Type 2 Report: The Survey, and the Trial Behind It
Dexcom’s Type 2 Report: The Survey, and the Trial Behind It
A new survey of 2,502 people with Type 2 diabetes finds most know little about CGM. The stronger evidence on whether CGM helps them comes from a randomized trial the report cites.
Type 2 and CGM: the survey and the trial
Dexcom surveyed 2,502 adults with Type 2 diabetes and 888 clinicians in eight countries. It is a company survey of what people say, not evidence that CGM works. Disclosure: Dexcom sponsors the Juicebox Podcast.
What it shows
- Survey (Dexcom / HarrisX, April 2026): 55% of people with Type 2 said they have limited knowledge of CGM; 72% did not know GLP-1s and CGM can be used together.
- Survey: 90% of U.S. clinicians cited coverage or reimbursement as a barrier, versus 53% in the other seven countries.
- CONNECT randomized trial (283 adults with Type 2 not on insulin, 26 weeks): A1C fell 1.6 points with a Dexcom G7 versus 0.7 with routine care, a 0.9-point difference.
- JAMA Network Open cohort (9,258 adults): wearing CGM more than 270 days a year was associated with a 1.52-point A1C drop over 12 months, versus 0.63 without CGM.
What it does not show
- CONNECT was sponsored by Dexcom and, as of this writing, is a conference abstract, not a full peer-reviewed paper.
- Six months of data. Nothing yet on whether the A1C drop lasts or changes complications.
- The cohort shows an association, not cause, and three of its seven authors work for Roche Diagnostics.
What it means for this community
- The report is about Type 2, but many people with Type 1 have family and friends living with it.
- The survey’s clearest signal is how many people with Type 2 say they know little about CGM.
- Whether a CGM fits someone’s treatment, and whether insurance covers it, is a question for their doctor.
Sources: Dexcom State of Type 2 Report 2026 (Dexcom data on file) · Oser T, et al., CONNECT, Diabetes 2026;75(Suppl 1):1170-OR · Hirsch IB, et al., JAMA Netw Open 2025 · ADA, Standards of Care 2026, Section 7
Educational only. Not medical advice. Talk with your doctor before making changes to your care. juiceboxpodcast.com · Full disclaimer
Dexcom released its 2026 “State of Type 2” report on September 28 at the European Association for the Study of Diabetes meeting in Milan. It is a survey. In April 2026, Dexcom partnered with the research firm HarrisX to poll 2,502 adults with Type 2 diabetes and 888 clinicians across eight countries, including the United States.
The headline finding is a knowledge gap. Only 33% of people with Type 2 said they know what a CGM is and how it could help. 28% said they do not know what one is at all. And 72% did not know that GLP-1 medications and CGM can be used together.
Disclosure: Dexcom sponsors the Juicebox Podcast. That is a reason to read this post, and the report, with care. A company survey measures what people say. It is not evidence that CGM works. For that, the report points to other research, covered below.
What the survey measured
Among GLP-1 users in the survey, 58% said they pair the medication with a CGM. Among GLP-1 users who are not on insulin, the report puts that figure at 27%.
Clinicians named cost. In the U.S., 90% cited coverage or reimbursement as a barrier to CGM, compared with 53% across the other seven countries. About one in four U.S. respondents with Type 2 said they had trouble paying for diabetes medication or supplies in the past year.
The roughly 300 current CGM users in the survey were positive: 94% said they manage their diabetes more independently, and 91% said they use the data to make treatment decisions. Those are self-reports from people who chose a CGM and kept wearing it. The survey says nothing about people who tried one and stopped.
What the trials show
The stronger evidence is the CONNECT trial, which the report cites. CONNECT randomly assigned 283 adults with Type 2 who do not use insulin, at 22 U.S. primary care practices, to either a Dexcom G7 or routine care with a fingerstick meter for 26 weeks. Dexcom sponsored the trial.
Participants started at an average A1C of 8.8%. A1C fell 1.6 points in the CGM group and 0.7 points with routine care, a 0.9-point difference. Time in range (70–180 mg/dL) was 62% with CGM and 41% without. The results were presented as a conference abstract at the American Diabetes Association’s Scientific Sessions in June 2026. A full peer-reviewed paper could not be found as of this writing.
A separate study in JAMA Network Open looked back at insurance and medical records for 9,258 adults with Type 2. People who wore a CGM more than 270 days a year saw A1C fall 1.52 points over 12 months, compared with 0.63 points in matched people who did not use one. That is an association, not proof of cause. Three of the study’s seven authors work for Roche Diagnostics, a diabetes device maker.
What is still open
CONNECT answers a narrow question: over six months in primary care, does adding a CGM lower A1C for people with Type 2 who are not on insulin? It does not yet show whether the drop holds past six months. A six-month extension is underway, according to the ADA. It also says nothing yet about complications. And participants knew which group they were in, which is unavoidable when the treatment is a device.
The ADA’s 2026 Standards of Care already recommend CGM for people with diabetes on “any diabetes treatment where CGM helps in management.” That part of the recommendation is graded C, below the A given for people on insulin. Randomized evidence like CONNECT is what could move that grade. Whether it does is up to the ADA.
How the survey was run
HarrisX surveyed 2,502 adults with Type 2 and 888 clinicians in April 2026, roughly 310 patients and 110 clinicians per country: Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Clinicians were split about evenly between doctors and nurses.
The report does not say how respondents were recruited. Its unreferenced figures are cited as “Dexcom Data on File, 2026,” meaning the underlying data has not been published for outside review.
What this means for this community
Most of the Juicebox audience lives with Type 1 or cares for someone who does, and CGM is common there. This report is about the much larger Type 2 population, and plenty of listeners have a parent, partner, or friend in it. The survey’s clearest signal is how many people with Type 2 say they know little about CGM.
The trial evidence for CGM in Type 2 without insulin is newer and still maturing. For anyone with Type 2 who is curious, the questions for their doctor are whether a CGM fits their treatment and whether their insurance covers it. This post is for education only. Talk with your doctor before making any changes to your care.
Sources. The Dexcom report and press release were used for the survey figures only. Clinical claims are cited to the underlying research.
Survey. Dexcom. State of Type 2 Report: Global Access and Attitudes to Diabetes Technology, 2026. Conducted with HarrisX, April 2026; Dexcom Data on File. Report page · Press release, September 28, 2026.
Randomized trial. Oser T, et al. CGM for Adults with Type 2 Diabetes Not on Insulin Therapy: The CONNECT Randomized Controlled Trial. Diabetes 2026;75(Suppl 1):1170-OR, conference abstract. Sponsored by Dexcom. Additional figures: American Diabetes Association; Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine.
Records study. Hirsch IB, Garg SK, Repetto E, et al. Continuous Glucose Monitoring Frequency and Glycemic Control in People With Type 2 Diabetes. JAMA Netw Open 2025;8(10):e2539278. Retrospective, propensity-matched. Three authors affiliated with Roche Diagnostics.
Guideline. American Diabetes Association. 7. Diabetes Technology: Standards of Care in Diabetes—2026. Diabetes Care 2026;49(Suppl 1), recommendation 7.15.
How to read this evidence. A randomized trial is the strongest design here, but one sponsored trial reported as an abstract is an early result. The records study shows an association, not cause: people who keep wearing a CGM may differ in other ways from people who do not. The survey reports opinions and self-described behavior only.
This post is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Nothing here is a recommendation to start, stop, or change any device or medication.
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