Apple Watch Health Tracking
As more wearable devices promise noninvasive ways to measure blood glucose levels, the FDA The Food and Drug Administration has officially stated that the technology has not been approved.
The FDA issued a statement Wednesday warning patients against using smart rings and smartwatches that claim to measure blood glucose levels noninvasively, citing concerns about inaccuracy. This assumes that patients do not purchase devices for this purpose, but instead continue to use traditional devices that require the patient to puncture the skin.
And the FDA makes a good point — People with diabetes rely heavily on accurate blood glucose measurements to manage their condition. However, if these measurements are incorrect, it can lead to serious errors in diabetes management.
For example, taking the wrong dose of insulin, sulfonylureas, or other medications that can quickly lower your blood glucose levels can cause your glucose levels to become dangerously low. This can lead to confusion, coma or even death within a few hours.
Apple has expressed interest in adding non-invasive glucose monitoring to its flagship wearable device, the Apple Watch. In 2021, a series of patent filings revealed that Apple is developing terahertz electromagnetic radiation sensors that will allow the Apple Watch to non-invasively monitor glucose levels.
In February 2023, it was reported that Apple had reached the “proof of concept” stage.
In September, Tim Millett, Apple's vice president of platform architecture responsible for Apple Silicon, was named project lead for glucose tracking in the Apple Watch.
