Apple Watch 'Series 7' rumor claims glucose monitoring is on the way

AppleInsider

The "Apple Watch Series 7" may include the long-rumored glucose monitoring feature, a report about Samsung's rival wearable device suggests, despite the difficulty of taking blood sugar measurements without drawing blood.

Rumors have circulated for a few years about an Apple Watch feature for glucose monitoring, allowing users to check their blood sugar levels from the wearable device. According to a report, that feature could surface in the next Apple Watch generation.

In a report about Samsung's Galaxy Watch potentially gaining a noninvasive blood glucose monitoring feature, ETNews claims a similar feature will appear in the "Apple Watch 7." Referencing existing reporting on the function, as well as Apple's patent filings, the feature is said to be undergoing testing for "reliability and stability" before it is commercialized.

Apple has secured various patents relating to blood sugar monitoring without drawing blood, including one from 2019 that analyzes body odor for changes. Another employed an optical system for absorption spectroscopy, to analyze materials in the blood.

Reports going as far back as 2017 also claim CEO Tim Cook has taken part in non-intrusive glucose monitoring tests, with Cook also admitting having worn a continuous glucose monitor for a few weeks.

This feature would be life-changing for Type-1 diabetics who are required to monitor their blood sugar levels through a constant glucose monitor (CGM) or finger pricks throughout the day. This would likely be many years off to achieve the degree of accuracy diabetics require before dosing themselves with insulin.

A more likely step for Apple is to attempt to slow the increasing number of Type-2 diabetics. Apple Watch could monitor a user's blood glucose level and alert a user if it is reading above the norm and that they may be pre-diabetic. The idea being that users who are more aware they could become diabetic will take meaningful actions to prevent it in the first place.

As well as Apple and Samsung, other companies are attempting to solve the problem in their own way, though all have the same regulatory hurdles to pass. Just as with the ECG function of the Apple Watch, any proposed blood glucose function will have to pass muster with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and international counterparts before it can be used in each country.

roake

This would be sweet!

WilliamM

I've had diabetes for 56 years and have dreamt of this for a long time. A non-invasive blood glucose monitor was announced as CES this year by Quantum Operation. I hope these reports relating to multiple companies mean it will really happen soon.

Andrew_OSU

WilliamM said:

I've had diabetes for 56 years and have dreamt of this for a long time. A non-invasive blood glucose monitor was announced as CES this year by Quantum Operation. I hope these reports relating to multiple companies mean it will really happen soon.

I’d be sure not to get your hopes up too far as this is still likely years away from being commercialized for use by T1Ds and T2Ds. This will likely launch as a very high-level feature with many warnings that it is not to be used by diabetics for insulin dosing and won’t be nearly as accurate as a dedicated CGM unit or finger sticks.

GeorgeBMac

Type 2 Diabetes is becoming an epidemic in western countries living the Standard Western Lifesyle -- eating junky food and sitting around.

But Pre-Diabetes already is in epidemic numbers:   that's where the person has elevated sugar levels but not to the point of being diagnosed as a full diabetic. 

That is, diabetes is not a switch where you either have it or you don't.   It's a continuum with an arbitrary line drawn saying "at this blood sugar level you have diabetes".

So, this feature on an Apple Watch could benefit far more people than just diabetics.   From the CDC:
--  30 million Americans have diabetes

--  70 million Americans have pre-diabetes

It's not just that pre-diabetes might (probably?) turn into diabetes but that pre-diabetes harms the body's systems and organs just as diabetes does -- it just does less harm rather than no harm.   And, we know that the harm from these things is cumulative -- it's the constant attack on the body's systems year after year, decade after decade that finally gives way to "Age Related Diseases".

So, a person should not wait to take action when they are diagnosed with diabetes but when they develop pre-diabetes -- because both conditions are primarily caused by unhealthy lifestyles and can be prevented, controlled and often reversed with healthy lifestyles.

Andrew_OSU

GeorgeBMac said:

Type 2 Diabetes is becoming an epidemic in western countries living the Standard Western Lifesyle -- eating junky food and sitting around.

But Pre-Diabetes already is in epidemic numbers:   that's where the person has elevated sugar levels but not to the point of being diagnosed as a full diabetic. 

That is, diabetes is not a switch where you either have it or you don't.   It's a continuum with an arbitrary line drawn saying "at this blood sugar level you have diabetes".

So, this feature on an Apple Watch could benefit far more people than just diabetics.   From the CDC:
--  30 million Americans have diabetes

--  70 million Americans have pre-diabetes

It's not just that pre-diabetes might (probably?) turn into diabetes but that pre-diabetes harms the body's systems and organs just as diabetes does -- it just does less harm rather than no harm.   And, we know that the harm from these things is cumulative -- it's the constant attack on the body's systems year after year, decade after decade that finally gives way to "Age Related Diseases".

So, a person should not wait to take action when they are diagnosed with diabetes but when they develop pre-diabetes -- because both conditions are primarily caused by unhealthy lifestyles and can be prevented, controlled and often reversed with healthy lifestyles.

This right here ^
This is very accurate. Apple will most likely use this to monitor your BG over time and give you insights that your BG is outside the norm without giving actual BG numbers that are usable by diabetics.

dk49

I would have preferred blood pressure monitoring over glucose monitoring..

Andrew_OSU

dk49 said:

I would have preferred blood pressure monitoring over glucose monitoring..

They are likely working on something there as well but it may not be possible with just an optical sensor like BG monitor is. In the US, there are 88 million that are pre-diabetic and 35 million are diabetic. That is a staggering number of people and higher than the number of people who have high blood pressure which is around 108 million. Both of these are problem areas that need additional research but Apple can only do so much and only fit so much into the watch. If they are able to use an existing sensor and offer a feature that would have potential benefits for up to 123 million people, probably a good choice to make.

Eric_WVGG

dk49 said:

I would have preferred blood pressure monitoring over glucose monitoring..

Everyone focuses on the diabetes thing (for good reason), but ultimately diabetes would be maybe the least consequential benefit of glucose monitoring. 

If you can monitor glucose, you have insight into a tremendous amount of data regarding calories and metabolism. Imagine if your Watch not only knew how many calories were in every single potato chip you consumed, but also how your body metabolized it. Weight, hormones, stress, brain activity, obesity co-morbidities… this is the holy grail of physiology tracking. It would revolutionize healthcare and fitness for everyone. 

Which is why I’m skeptical of the whole thing. Heartbeat, ECG tracking, and blood oxygen measuring via camera were all proven technologies that had been around for years — Apple just miniaturized them and put them in a popular consumer product. Non-invasive glucose monitoring is still very experimental and cutting-edge. I just don't see a company like Apple inventing this out of nowhere. I hope I'm wrong, though.

Andrew_OSU

Eric_WVGG said:

dk49 said:

I would have preferred blood pressure monitoring over glucose monitoring..

Everyone focuses on the diabetes thing (for good reason), but ultimately diabetes would be maybe the least consequential benefit of glucose monitoring. 

If you can monitor glucose, you have insight into a tremendous amount of data regarding calories and metabolism. Imagine if your Watch not only knew how many calories were in every single potato chip you consumed, but also how your body metabolized it. Weight, hormones, stress, brain activity, obesity co-morbidities… this is the holy grail of physiology tracking. It would revolutionize healthcare and fitness for everyone. 

Which is why I’m skeptical of the whole thing. Heartbeat, ECG tracking, and blood oxygen measuring via camera were all proven technologies that had been around for years — Apple just miniaturized them and put them in a popular consumer product. Non-invasive glucose monitoring is still very experimental and cutting-edge. I just don't see a company like Apple inventing this out of nowhere. I hope I'm wrong, though.

You’re right to be skeptical. People are seeing this and anticipating hyper-accurate BG readings from the optical sensor on their wrist. Not happening. But if they can be within 20 points or so to detect elevated levels and trends, it is a first step and good for identifying pre-diabetics and general information on metabolism and how your BG changes throughout the day. 

GeorgeBMac

Eric_WVGG said:

dk49 said:

I would have preferred blood pressure monitoring over glucose monitoring..

Everyone focuses on the diabetes thing (for good reason), but ultimately diabetes would be maybe the least consequential benefit of glucose monitoring. 

If you can monitor glucose, you have insight into a tremendous amount of data regarding calories and metabolism. Imagine if your Watch not only knew how many calories were in every single potato chip you consumed, but also how your body metabolized it. Weight, hormones, stress, brain activity, obesity co-morbidities… this is the holy grail of physiology tracking. It would revolutionize healthcare and fitness for everyone. 

Which is why I’m skeptical of the whole thing. Heartbeat, ECG tracking, and blood oxygen measuring via camera were all proven technologies that had been around for years — Apple just miniaturized them and put them in a popular consumer product. Non-invasive glucose monitoring is still very experimental and cutting-edge. I just don't see a company like Apple inventing this out of nowhere. I hope I'm wrong, though.

Carbs (glucose) are only one component of calories, digestion,  and metabolism.

By the way, there are multiple apps that can run on the Apple Watch that can tell you how many calories in that single potato chip -- and they can also track how many you eat.   It's a shame that nutrition researchers (and people concerned about their weight) are not taking better advantage of that.  For myself, it has been a huge help losing weight:  just keeping track of what and how much I eat does the trick.

tzeshan

BG monitoring should be very beneficial. Our BG fluctuate during the day especially after a meal. Some food will cause BG to rise a lot. This kind of monitoring your doctor cannot do for you. But the data will be very useful. You will know what kind of food caused your BG to rise a lot. 

gerard

I hope this rumor is true. Having something that can show you how harmful a junk food diet can be would be life changing for some. I believe many others would turn off the feature because seeing all those high and lows; they would not be able to eat junk food guilt free any longer. 

dk49

Andrew_OSU said:

dk49 said:

I would have preferred blood pressure monitoring over glucose monitoring..

They are likely working on something there as well but it may not be possible with just an optical sensor like BG monitor is. In the US, there are 88 million that are pre-diabetic and 35 million are diabetic. That is a staggering number of people and higher than the number of people who have high blood pressure which is around 108 million. Both of these are problem areas that need additional research but Apple can only do so much and only fit so much into the watch. If they are able to use an existing sensor and offer a feature that would have potential benefits for up to 123 million people, probably a good choice to make.

Well as far as the technology is concerned, I believe it's much easier to build a blood pressure monitor in the watch as compared to a glucose monitor. I don't think there is any non-invasive glucose monitoring device out there right now, let alone fitting it into a tiny watch..!

MplsP

Accurate non-invasive blood glucose monitoring is the holy grail of diabetic management. To my knowledge there is no current monitor on the market that does this; everything requires a separate disposable sensor.

George is right - type 2 diabetes is becoming epidemic in our country. Part of the problem is its insidious onset; you can have abnormal blood sugars for years without symptoms and there are many people who don't get regular medical care and already have complications of the diabetes by the time they find out. Of course, many fo these people also won't be getting an Apple Watch but anything helps.

Andrew_OSU

dk49 said:

Andrew_OSU said:

dk49 said:

I would have preferred blood pressure monitoring over glucose monitoring..

They are likely working on something there as well but it may not be possible with just an optical sensor like BG monitor is. In the US, there are 88 million that are pre-diabetic and 35 million are diabetic. That is a staggering number of people and higher than the number of people who have high blood pressure which is around 108 million. Both of these are problem areas that need additional research but Apple can only do so much and only fit so much into the watch. If they are able to use an existing sensor and offer a feature that would have potential benefits for up to 123 million people, probably a good choice to make.

Well as far as the technology is concerned, I believe it's much easier to build a blood pressure monitor in the watch as compared to a glucose monitor. I don't think there is any non-invasive glucose monitoring device out there right now, let alone fitting it into a tiny watch..!

I’ll admit right up front that I know absolutely nothing about blood pressure but quite a bit about blood glucose levels. From my very limited understanding of blood pressure, you’d need some additional sensors for that to work. Most right now use that cuff that goes fully around your arm and certainly doesn’t work on the wrist. So, just as with the BG, it would have to be a whole new way of measuring it without having anything go around your wrist. Very curious what is being done in that space.

GeorgeBMac

tzeshan said:

BG monitoring should be very beneficial. Our BG fluctuate during the day especially after a meal. Some food will cause BG to rise a lot. This kind of monitoring your doctor cannot do for you. But the data will be very useful. You will know what kind of food caused your BG to rise a lot. 

If your body is healthy -- meaning, in this case, without insulin resistance, then it will handle any spikes appropriately -- unless of course you get crazy and guzzle a BigGulp.

dewme

MplsP said:

Accurate non-invasive blood glucose monitoring is the holy grail of diabetic management. To my knowledge there is no current monitor on the market that does this; everything requires a separate disposable sensor.

George is right - type 2 diabetes is becoming epidemic in our country. Part of the problem is its insidious onset; you can have abnormal blood sugars for years without symptoms and there are many people who don't get regular medical care and already have complications of the diabetes by the time they find out. Of course, many fo these people also won't be getting an Apple Watch but anything helps.

Yes, this would be a life changing capability that would impact millions of lives if they can pull it off. Because of the holy grail nature of this I'm sure there will be an avalanche of lawsuits directed at whomever gets to the finish line first with a product that delivers on the promise. Hopefully everyone plays nice on this. If it's Apple who gets a product to market that dovetails nicely into their health related initiatives, they better have done all the required patent related homework ahead of time. Something this important needs a clear path to getting on the wrists of those who will benefit from its use. 

FoodLover

Andrew_OSU said:

I’ll admit right up front that I know absolutely nothing about blood pressure but quite a bit about blood glucose levels. From my very limited understanding of blood pressure, you’d need some additional sensors for that to work. Most right now use that cuff that goes fully around your arm and certainly doesn’t work on the wrist. So, just as with the BG, it would have to be a whole new way of measuring it without having anything go around your wrist. Very curious what is being done in that space.

A Galaxy Watch 3 would measure your blood pressure on the wrist if you were in South Korea or Australia (I don't know where else it has been certified already).  

StrangeDays

roake said:

This would be sweet!

I see what you did there. 

StrangeDays

GeorgeBMac said:

Type 2 Diabetes is becoming an epidemic in western countries living the Standard Western Lifesyle -- eating junky food and sitting around.

But Pre-Diabetes already is in epidemic numbers:   that's where the person has elevated sugar levels but not to the point of being diagnosed as a full diabetic. 

That is, diabetes is not a switch where you either have it or you don't.   It's a continuum with an arbitrary line drawn saying "at this blood sugar level you have diabetes".

So, this feature on an Apple Watch could benefit far more people than just diabetics.   From the CDC:
--  30 million Americans have diabetes

--  70 million Americans have pre-diabetes

It's not just that pre-diabetes might (probably?) turn into diabetes but that pre-diabetes harms the body's systems and organs just as diabetes does -- it just does less harm rather than no harm.   And, we know that the harm from these things is cumulative -- it's the constant attack on the body's systems year after year, decade after decade that finally gives way to "Age Related Diseases".

So, a person should not wait to take action when they are diagnosed with diabetes but when they develop pre-diabetes -- because both conditions are primarily caused by unhealthy lifestyles and can be prevented, controlled and often reversed with healthy lifestyles.

Yup. Years back my blood sugar test (A1C) showed it was rising, doc warned of pre-D. Changed my lifestyle to add regular intense exercise (strength training), and it went back down. The muscles want to be worked, expect to be worked. It’s their job and it is directly related to fighting off diabetes.