Apple Watch Provides Glucose Monitoring For Diabetics

The Apple Watch already comes with impressive features like a heart rate sensor and the Activity app. But it will also have an option for diabetics to monitor their blood sugar. According to several reports, Apple Watch users will be able to track their blood sugar with an optional application.

The app will reveal the blood glucose levels on the Apple Watch, according to NBC Bay Area. It will be able to test the user’s blood sugar by using a sensor that’s strapped to the user’s stomach. The sensor will then take a glucose measurement every five minutes and send the information to a handheld device within 20 feet, according to the report. That device will then communicate with your iPhone, which sends the data to be displayed on your Apple Watch. The app is expected to make its debut in April.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9UHl60ZuaYY

This new app will be available for diabetics who have to continuously monitor their blood sugar levels. Users are able to glance down periodically at their Apple Watch for a blood glucose reading without pricking their fingers and dealing with messy blood testing. Diabetics shouldn’t get rid of their diabetic testing supplies just yet thought. It’s important for users to know if the app and sensor work well with the Apple Watch.

Apple partnered with diabetic monitor company DexCom to provide the glucose monitoring capabilities with its wrist-mounted device. The Apple Watch will work harmoniously with DexCom’s continuous glucose monitor (CGM), a system that includes an ultra-thin sensor underneath the skin of the diabetic user, according to SMN Weekly. The display of the Apple Watch will act as the display for the CGM.

The specialized app will track and monitor a user’s glucose blood levels on the watch in the form of a graph, The Wall Street Journal said on Sunday. DexCom already offers two different apps – one that allows a user to view the data and another that allows the user to share the data with another person, such as a physician, who may need to monitor the person’s blood glucose levels.

This means that the Apple Watch will not only function as a smartwatch, but as a health aide and fitness tracker. One of the challenges that Apple is facing at the moment is that certain health devices and apps must require approval from the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA considered blood glucose software Class III, meaning they need the highest level of regulatory approval. But the FDA recently revised its guidelines. That means DexCom’s monitors will remain as Class III devices since they attach to the person’s body. But health apps that display data on the Apple Watch will be a Class II since they don’t need approval, though they will need to be registered with the agency and follow certain protocols.

This change in regulations benefits both Apple and third-party developers as health-related apps can be created for the Apple Watch without requiring strict regulatory approval from the FDA. The diabetic monitoring app is only made for the Apple Watch and will not be made for other smartwatches.

The Inquisitr has recently reported that the Apple Watch will begin shipping out in April of this year. Fitness fanatics, health-conscious users, and diabetics will be on the lookout for the gadget. Are you interested in the health and fitness features offered with the Apple Watch?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPpMeRCG1WQ

[Image: Houang Stephane/Flickr]