I've been using a Dexcom for the last five years, and I'm absolutely thrilled to see that the new Dexcom G4 Platinum sensor has been APPROVED by the FDA. (Yes, you just saw "approved" and "FDA" in the same sentence.)

According to the press release:

"Clinical trials report up to approximately 19 percent improvement in overall accuracy for the Dexcom G4 PLATINUM compared to the Seven Plus, and approximately a 30 percent improvement in accuracy in the hypoglycemia range (i.e., when blood glucose is less than 70mg/dl). The overall accuracy and ease of use for the Dexcom G4 PLATINUM sets a new standard for commercially available CGMs, making the Dexcom G4 PLATINUM the most-advanced CGM system available.



'Improved accuracy in the critical hypoglycemic range is most important from a life-saving point of view,” said Terrance H. Gregg, Dexcom CEO. “The Dexcom G4 PLATINUM fulfills the promise of CGM for people with diabetes by providing accurate and reliable real-time performance.'"

As far as what's new/updated, here's a snapshot:



"The Dexcom G4 PLATINUM offers not only outstanding accuracy and performance, but many new capabilities, including:

Longest transmission range, enabling improved patient flexibility and convenience

A smaller, discrete profile that fits busy lifestyles

A first-of-its-kind color LCD display for easy viewing

Customizable alerts with specific tones

'Hypo alert' setting at 55 mg/dl that provides an increased level of safety — a feature that no other device has."

I'll be updating this post with images and information later in the day, but for now, I'm having a celebratory cup of coffee and really, really looking forward to the new G4 sensor being part of my diabetes management plan.

Update: Here's a video introduction to the new G4.