All you need to know about the Accu-Chek® SmartGuide CGM

There’s a new CGM available in South Africa that not only tells you what your blood sugar is doing now and has done in the past, but gives you an idea of where they will be in the future. Here’s all you need to know about the Accu-Chek^® SmartGuide continuous glucose monitor (CGM).

What is the SmartGuide CGM?

The Accu-Chek^® SmartGuide CGM system consists of the SmartGuide sensor and the mySugr app. 

You can wear the comfortable and water-resistant CGM sensor on your arm for up to 14 days to receive accurate¹ glucose readings in real time. It automatically measures your glucose levels, so you don’t need to worry about daily finger-pricking².

The mySugr app connects to your sensor, so you can monitor your glucose and keep track of insulin injections, carbohydrate intake, and personal activities. It helps not only to know where your glucose levels are, but to learn how your lifestyle and medication influence them.

The prediction features found on the mySugr app estimate your glucose levels for the next 2 hours and notify you about a potential low within 30 minutes or during the night, so you can stay ahead of any changes.

What the SmartGuide can offer that isn’t just the usual CGM performance:

Predictive algorithms

With mySugr Glucose Insights, a key feature of the mySugr app, you can get a forecast of your upcoming glucose values so you can act or prepare to reduce the risk of highs and lows.

It estimates where your glucose will go in the next 30 minutes, 2 hours, and during the night so you can stay ahead of potential changes.

There are three types of predictions in mySugr Glucose Insights:

1. Low Glucose Predict feature: Notifies you of a likely low glucose level within the next 30 minutes and provides suggestions to help stabilise your level.
2. Glucose Predict feature: Displays an easy-to-understand graph showing how your glucose levels are likely to change over the next two hours, helping people with diabetes take early action before high or low values occur.
3. Night Low Predict feature: Shows the risk level for night-time hypoglycaemia before you go to bed. Provides a notification if there is a high or very high risk of going low predicted, and also the period when the hypoglycaemia is most likely to occur.

It is important to note that all predictive features are only available when your smartphone has an active internet connection.

How the algorithms work

The solution incorporates algorithms developed using AI. These are based on machine learning and have been trained using thousands of real-world glucose profiles. The AI identifies complex correlations that would be almost impossible for a human to discern, incorporating various individual factors, such as:

• Current and historical CGM values
• Logged carbohydrates and insulin doses
• The time of day

The system was initially trained on data from a wide range of people living with diabetes.³ It begins with a model based on these collective experiences and then uses your personal CGM data (both current and historical) to generate its predictions.⁴

This allows people with diabetes to take proactive action before high or low values even occur.

How do these predictions improve quality of life?

Living with diabetes can be exhausting – physically, but also mentally. The constant uncertainty regarding glucose trends, the fear of lows, and the daily burden of management can often feel overwhelming. The new Accu-Chek^® SmartGuide CGM solution is designed to alleviate these pressures by using artificial intelligence (AI)-driven insights to help you react early, before high or low values occur.⁵

How AI-powered predictions bridge the gap

While many CGM systems utilise trend arrows to indicate if glucose levels will likely rise, fall, or stay the same, these typically only project 15 to 30 minutes into the future. Because they are based solely on current measurements, they provide general directions rather than precise forecasts.⁵ Furthermore, standard alerts are often tied to rigid thresholds that do not account for your unique, personal situation.⁵

With the new Accu-Chek^® SmartGuide CGM solution, glucose levels can be predicted up to two hours in advance, and the risk of night-time hypoglycaemia can also be forecast.^6,7

Why isn’t Accu-Chek^® SmartGuide licensed in pediatrics yet?

For now, the Accu-Chek^® SmartGuide is only registered for use in adults since all studies conducted, including those on predictions, have only been done in adults.

How to interpret CGM results

CGMs offer real-time glucose tracking, providing users with helpful and immediate insights into their glucose levels. A CGM can identify trends in glucose levels and warn you when glucose levels are trending too high or too low so you can take preventive action before a serious event occurs.³ A CGM allows you to see the previous glucose level development, and with the right software support, like the mySugr app, it can estimate future changes. 

Data sharing with your healthcare professional

The mySugr app continuously saves your CGM data in your Accu-Chek^® account, whether it’s entered automatically or manually. You can share your data with your healthcare provider, who can access it through the Accu-Chek^® Care platform web portal after you grant them access.

Accu-Chek^® Africa’s website has a CGM Learning Centre focused on supporting you to understand your CGM and the information you receive with confidence, including an article on how to interpret the shareable report you can access from the mySugr app.

Using the MySugr app with Accu-Chek^® SmartGuide CGM

The Accu-Chek^® SmartGuide CGM used to work with two apps (the Accu-Chek^® SmartGuide app and the Accu-Chek^® SmartGuide Predict app). On the 1st of June 2026, the two apps moved to the mySugr app – one powerful app with more than 7 million* registered accounts worldwide and an impressive 4.6-star rating on both the App Store and Google Play. 

For current users, the switch can be made in just a few taps. 

• Simply log in to the mySugr app with the email and password linked to your existing Accu-Chek^® account.
• Your Accu-Chek^® SmartGuide app will let you know when it’s time to make the switch.
• All new Accu-Chek^® SmartGuide CGM users will use the mySugr app from the start. 

If you have more questions about the change, you can visit this webpage: www.accu-chekafrica.com/app-switch-mysugr

How do you tell if a CGM is reliable?

If you’re using or considering a CGM, you may have come across the term Mean Absolute Relative Difference (MARD). But what does it mean for you?

Simply put, MARD is a way to measure how accurate your CGM is — the lower the percentage, the closer your sensor’s readings are to your actual blood glucose levels.

MARD is a helpful measure of CGM accuracy, but it’s not the only factor to consider. Although lower MARD scores can mean more accurate readings, understanding your CGM data is key to maximizing its benefits. 

What MARD means for CGM users

Regardless of the MARD value, it’s important to:

• Always interpret your CGM data in context — consider trends, symptoms, and your daily routine.
• Be mindful of lag time (the difference between blood glucose and interstitial glucose readings) and discuss timing when making treatment decisions with your healthcare provider.
• Confirm your values with finger stick tests when needed, especially if a reading conflicts with symptoms.

SA Diabetes Advocacy have developed the CGM Accuracy Checklist which outlines exactly how to choose the right CGM for you.

References

1. Mader JK, Waldenmaier D, Mueller-Hoffmann W, et al. Performance of a Novel Continuous Glucose Monitoring Device in People With Diabetes. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2024 Sep;18(5):1044 1051.
2. Calibration as requested by the mySugr app is required. In certain situations, you should use a blood glucose meter to make self- management decisions for example, if your glucose value doesn’t match how you feel or for any therapy-related decisions while your Accu-Chek SmartGuide sensor is in Trend Mode (as well as in any other case indicated by the user’s manual or your healthcare professional).
3. Glatzer T, Ehrmann D, Gehr B, et al. Clinical Usage and Potential Benefits of a Continuous Glucose Monitoring Predict App. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2024;18(5):1009-1013. doi:10.1177/19322968241268353
4. Herrero P, Andorrà M, Babion N, Bos H, Koehler M, Klopfenstein Y., …& Glatzer T: Enhancing the Capabilities of Continuous Glucose Monitoring with a Predictive App. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2024; 18(5): 1014-102
5. Glatzer T, Ehrmann D, Gehr B, et al. Clinical Usage and Potential Benefits of a Continuous Glucose Monitoring Predict App. J Diabetes Sci Technol. 2024;18(5):1009-1013. doi:10.1177/19322968241268353
6. The Accu-Chek SmartGuide Predict app predicts the general estimated glucose development within the next 2 hours (Glucose Predict), the estimated high risk of low glucose within the next 30 minutes (Low Glucose Predict), and the estimated risk of a night-time hypo for the upcoming 7 hours (Night Low Predict, active between 21:00 and 02:00).  An internet connection is required to use the prediction functions.
7. If the risk is different for the early night (first 3.5 hours) and late night (last 3.5 hours), the Night Low Predict feature will further highlight the time window of high risk in the push-notification sent to the user.