When Abbott Laboratories rolled out a device in Europe to help diabetics measure their glucose levels without having to prick a finger, it included a novel ask for patients: would they allow the company to collect their data to help guide care? The company never imagined it would be sparking an information obsession. More than 50,000 people who used the FreeStyle Libre from 2014 to 2016 granted the company access, yielding 409-million data points. The results provide an unparalleled glimpse into the ebb and flow of testing in a group of people whose lives — and their limbs — depend on these efforts. The Libre is a waterproof button the size of a coin that sits on the outside of the upper arm. It houses a tiny needle-shaped sensor that rests just under the skin, continuously measuring glucose levels in the interstitial fluid that bathes the cells. Users hold a companion device, or an Android phone, above the sensor to get an immediate reading; an arrow indicates if levels are rising ...
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