SAN DIEGO, Oct. 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dexcom, Inc.,
(NASDAQ: DXCM), a leader in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) for
patients with diabetes, announced today it has partnered with
Derek Theler of Freeform's "Baby
Daddy," who has type 1 diabetes, to raise awareness of the benefits
of CGM for people with the disease. Theler, who has been nominated
for two Teen Choice Awards, will share his personal story and views
on living with diabetes and his use of Dexcom technology to help
him monitor his glucose levels and manage his diabetes while he
pursues and lives his dreams. Through the collaboration with
Dexcom, Theler hopes to spread awareness for CGM and provide
encouragement for those impacted by diabetes to take control of the
disease and continue to do the things they enjoy.
With approximately 29.1 million Americans living with diabetes,
education on disease management is crucial to living with the
condition day-to-day.1 The growth of continuous glucose
monitoring systems, like the Dexcom G5® Mobile CGM System, has
helped patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes understand
valuable information about their glucose levels and trends, a key
aspect to controlling the disease and staying healthy.
"Whether I'm shooting a film in South
Africa or on the set in LA, being an actor means having a
career that is intensely physical and constantly changing, and it's
nearly impossible to keep a regular routine," said Theler. "The
Dexcom CGM has allowed me to navigate my blood sugar's highs and
lows so I can work without interruption. It also gives my mom peace
of mind, because she can use the Dexcom Follow app to easily check
on me when I'm traveling and filming. CGM has made me feel safe and
has transformed my life and career in invaluable ways."
Both Theler and his sister Ashlea were diagnosed with type 1
diabetes as young children. As a kid he felt having diabetes was
difficult to live a normal childhood. Over the years, diabetes
strengthened Theler's motivation to pursue his dreams and to share
his story to inspire others to realize that they too can live out
their passions with diabetes especially with the right tools and
support to help manage the condition. With dedication and a strong
spirit, Theler earned a degree in pre-med from Colorado State University before moving to LA to
pursue his dream of becoming an actor. Now, an advocate for others
living with diabetes, Theler is committed to spreading the word
about disease management, and how to live life without
limitations.
"We are excited to be collaborating with Derek Theler on this educational campaign,"
stated Kevin Sayer, Chief Executive
Officer of Dexcom. "As someone who has truly benefited from CGM,
Derek's support in raising further awareness for management options
and living life to the fullest with diabetes will augment our
ongoing efforts to educate people about how they can best manage
their diabetes. We believe Derek's story will help inspire those
who struggle with this disease on a daily basis."
About CGM
Continuous glucose monitoring is considered
the most significant breakthrough in diabetes management in the
past 40 years.2 The traditional standard-of-care for
glucose (blood sugar) monitoring has been a finger stick meter. CGM
augments the use of glucose meters for the management of diabetes.
With the recent introduction of the Dexcom G5 Mobile CGM System,
people with diabetes can now view their glucose information on
their iOS-enabled devices for real-time diabetes management. CGM is
important because, in addition to indicating the glucose level, it
provides the direction and rate of glucose change with the push of
a button and alerts users when glucose is too low or too high.
About Diabetes
Diabetes affects 10% of the American
population and is the 7th leading cause of death in the United States.1 With diabetes,
the body cannot produce or use the hormone insulin effectively,
causing a buildup of glucose, or sugar, in the blood. It is
estimated that approximately 86 million Americans over the age of
20 are at risk for developing diabetes (primarily Type 2), largely
due to obesity, physical inactivity and poor diet.1
People with diabetes who take insulin must monitor their blood
glucose levels frequently. Uncontrolled glucose can cause health
complications and even death.3,4
About Dexcom, Inc.
Dexcom, Inc., headquartered in
San Diego, CA, is dedicated to
helping people better manage their diabetes by developing and
marketing continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) products and tools
for adult and pediatric patients. With exceptional performance,
patient comfort and lifestyle flexibility at the heart of its
technology, users have consistently ranked Dexcom highest in
customer satisfaction and loyalty. For more information on the
Dexcom CGM, visit www.dexcom.com.
About Derek
Theler
Derek Theler is
a 30-year-old actor from Colorado
living with Type 1 Diabetes. After earning a degree in pre-med from
Colorado State University, in 2009,
Derek moved to LA to begin his acting career. After a couple
supporting TV roles on series such as "The Middle" and "Cougar
Town", he quickly landed is his first major role
as "Danny Wheeler" on the hit
Freeform series, "Baby Daddy." Theler has also
starred in the action-thriller digital series "Project S.E.R.A.".
Derek has been nominated for two Teen Choice Awards. Derek
currently lives in Los Angeles.
For more on Derek, please visit his pages on Facebook and
Instagram.
To view multimedia assets, please visit:
http://www.multimedianewscenter.com/dexcom/dexcom-media-portal.
CONSUMER CONTACT:
Caren Begun, 856-424-2023 or
caren@greenroom.com
or
INVESTOR CONTACT:
Steven Pacelli, 858-200-0200 or
spacelli@dexcom.com
References
1. Diabetes.org
(http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/)
2. Clarke SF and Foster JR. A history of blood glucose
meters and their role in self-monitoring of diabetes mellitus.
Br J Biomed Sci. 2012;(3)2:83-93.
3. Hyperglycemia (High blood glucose). American Diabetes
Association Web site.
http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hyperglycemia.html.
Updated August 5, 2013. Accessed
December 3, 2013.
4. Hypoglycemia (Low blood glucose). American Diabetes
Association Web site.
http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/treatment-and-care/blood-glucose-control/hypoglycemia-low-blood.html.
Updated July 16, 2013. Accessed
December 3, 2013.
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SOURCE Dexcom, Inc.