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BACKGROUND: Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) has traditionally been used in diabetes management, but its application is expanding to non-diabetic populations for health promotion and metabolic optimization. However, the effectiveness of CGM in improving glycemic parameters, body weight, and behavioral outcomes in non-diabetic individuals remains unclear, limiting evidence-based implementation in clinical practice. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to systematically evaluate the effects of CGM use on glycemic control, body weight, dietary behaviors, and adherence in non-diabetic populations compared to conventional monitoring or control interventions. METHODS: We applied comprehensive search strategies across the PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, and Embase databases to locate studies published until December 2025. Two reviewers independently screened titles and abstracts, assessed full texts, and extracted data. We performed random-effects meta-analyses for quantitative outcomes and qualitative synthesis for feasibility and behavioral outcomes. RESULTS: Twenty-three studies were included (7 randomized controlled trials, 1 cohort study, 7 prospective observational studies, 4 cross-sectional studies, and 4 clinical trials), comprising 1074 non-diabetic participants from 11 countries. Most studies targeted health promotion through lifestyle interventions with overlapping aims: glycemic optimization (9/23, 39%), weight management (9/23, 39%), dietary behavior modification (12/23, 52%), and adherence enhancement (5/23, 22%). Meta-analysis demonstrated that CGM use significantly improved mean blood glucose compared with controls (SMD = -0.54, 95% CI -1.02 to -0.07; P = 0.03), whereas no significant differences were observed for measurement accuracy (MD = -3.90 mg/dL, P = 0.40) or body mass index (SMD = -0.25, 95% CI -0.63 to 0.12; P = 0.19). Qualitative synthesis indicated that the impact of CGM on glycemic variability metrics was context-dependent. CGM use was associated with higher behavioral adherence and specific dietary modifications. Notably, CGM improved glycemic control in individuals with prediabetes, whereas no appreciable glycemic benefit was observed in healthy normoglycemic populations. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that CGM use in non-diabetic populations may improve mean blood glucose and enhance intervention adherence, although evidence regarding its effects on measurement accuracy and glycemic variability remains limited. CGM demonstrates high feasibility in modifying short-term dietary behaviors; however, it is unlikely to achieve weight management goals independently without accompanying behavioral interventions. Therefore, CGM should be positioned as a precision biofeedback tool integrated within structured lifestyle programs.
Liao et al. (Mon,) studied this question.