Preview - two sides of A4 landscape. Ctrl/Cmd+P → A4 Landscape · Margins None · Background graphics ON → save as PDF.
Survive & Thrive · CGM Series

Dexcom G7 — what it offers, how to get the most from it

Side 1 of 2
What Dexcom offers
Dexcom G7 / G6
Framework score

Dexcom G7 at a glance

5 / 5
iCGM-designated, non-adjunctive Approved to dose insulin off the sensor. Upper-arm site for adults, buttock for children 2-6.
Accuracy (arm)
95.3%
±20/20 · Garg 2022
Pivotal
n=316
77,774 pairs vs YSI
Age
2+
years and older
Ref: Garg SK et al., Diabetes Technol Ther, 2022 · 93.2% ±20/20 at abdomen · <0.5% outside ±40/40. GNL reports accuracy using ±20/20 and ±40/40 only.
The essentials
✓10-day wear + 12-hour grace. No hard cut-off mid-shower.
✓30-minute warm-up after insertion (G6 was 2 hours).
✓95.3% within ±20/20 of lab reference. <0.5% outside ±40/40 (arm).
✓Readings every 5 minutes via continuous Bluetooth.
✓Direct-to-Apple Watch once paired. iOS and Android apps.
✓Factory calibrated. No calibrations needed. Optional if you want them.
✓Range 2.2 - 22.2 mmol/L. Alerts configurable across that window.
Getting the most from G7 · Part 1

Alerts - the four that matter

  • Urgent Low Soon. Predictive, fires around 20 minutes before you reach 3.1 mmol/L. Keep this one on. Always.
  • Low alert. Default 4.4 mmol/L. Tune to your own floor.
  • High alert. Set against your time-in-range goal. See the Full CGM Guide.
  • Delay First High. Skip the first morning high until after breakfast. Cuts alarm fatigue without missing anything clinically meaningful.
Rise and Fall Rate alerts exist too - use sparingly. Alarm fatigue is the number-one reason people stop trusting their CGM.
Share & Clarity

Your safety net and your mirror

  • Dexcom Share. Up to 10 followers see your glucose in real time. Partner, parent, school nurse - particularly valued in paediatric use.
  • Dexcom Clarity. Weekly pattern report. Open it every Sunday for 60 seconds. That habit alone changes outcomes.
Getting the most from G7 · Part 2

Trend arrows - your most important signal

The arrow tells you what's about to happen. The number tells you what is. Both together is the whole game.

ArrowChange in 15 minutesWhat it tells you
↑↑more than 3 mmol/LFast rise - act now
↑2-3 mmol/LRising - consider correction or a walk
↗1-2 mmol/LGently rising
→less than 1 mmol/LStable
↘1-2 fallingGently falling
↓2-3 fallingFalling - check insulin on board
↓↓more than 3 fallingFast fall - pre-empt the hypo
AID partners

Automated insulin delivery with Dexcom

  • Omnipod 5 - G6 and G7, native.
  • Tandem t:slim X2 Control-IQ - G6 and G7, native.
  • CamAPS FX (YpsoPump) - G6 and G7, native.
  • Twiist - US only, rolling out.
Not compatible with MiniMed 780G. That system uses Medtronic's Simplera Sync sensor.
Survive & Thrive · CGM Series

Dexcom G7 — the 20% that makes 80% of the difference

Side 2 of 2
How to get the most out of it
Dexcom G7 / G6
Major in the majors · #1

Skin care and sites

The thing most people underdo. Good skin prep is why a sensor lasts a clean 10 days and reads accurately from hour 1.

  • Rotate sites. Upper arm is the approved adult site. Alternate arms each change.
  • Clean and dry. Alcohol wipe, let it fully dry before applying.
  • Barrier wipe (Skin-Tac, Cavilon, IV Prep) for sensitive or sweaty skin.
  • Overlay patch for sport, swimming or hot weather (Skin Grip, Expression Med, Simpatch).
  • Peels early? Almost always skin prep, not the sensor. Try a barrier wipe next time.
  • Skin reacting? Stop and speak to your diabetes team. Isobornyl acrylate (IBOA) is a known cause in some people. A Cavilon barrier layer often solves it.
Major in the majors · #2

Accuracy - when to trust it, when to confirm

  • First 12 hours. Can be noisy. If the reading doesn't match how you feel, confirm with a finger-stick.
  • Pressure (compression) lows. Lying on the sensor at night squeezes tissue and drops the reading. If you wake to a sudden ↓↓ after hours stable, suspect compression before treating.
  • Rapid changes. In the first 5-10 minutes of a fast rise or fall, sensor glucose lags blood glucose by 5-10 min. The arrow is already telling you.
  • Paracetamol. G6 readings were affected. G7 is not reported to be affected.
Major in the majors · #3

Two actions that move HbA1c most

Don't take our word - use the tools. Each Explorer models the physiology for your number, your weight, your arrow.

Action 1 Walking a high down earlyBrisk walking brings glucose down within 10-30 min depending on starting value and arrow. → Action 2 Personalised hypo treatmentGlucose dose matched to weight, level and arrow. Glucose only - measure, then wait 20 min. →
Go deeper

GNL explorers, guides & podcasts

Interactive tools, graded evidence and long-form reading when you want more than a leaflet.

GuideFull CGM Guide - 6-part seriesAccuracy, alerts, arrows and real-world use.→ DeviceGNL Dexcom G7 PageDeep dive on the G7 - framework, evidence, gallery.→ PodcastCGM Series + Episode 37 - Adam Dawes, Dexcom UKSenior Medical Affairs Manager on G7 and the Dexcom roadmap.→ AskGrace - evidence-backed Q&AAsk anything about Dexcom, CGM, AID or T1D.→