Smartwatches have become increasingly popular over recent years for their convenient features and even the ability to monitor one’s heart rate and sleep schedule.
However, the FDA recently announced that those smartwatches and rings that claim to track glucose levels shouldn’t be used by diabetics as, without pricking the skin, they cannot accurately read the body’s blood sugar.
Understanding the Importance of Tracking Blood Sugar Levels for Those With Diabetes
People with diabetes need to be extremely careful when tracking their blood sugar or glucose levels.
Getting an exact reading alerts diabetics as to what foods, exercise, or medicine makes their numbers increase or decrease, as well as how much or how little additional insulin they need at that moment.
What Happens to Diabetics When Their Blood Sugar Isn’t Stable?
High or low blood sugar levels can lead to mental confusion, nerve damage, slurred speech, blurred vision, and even seizures, coma, or in the worst possible case, death.
Therefore, the majority of diabetes use blood glucose meters to carefully track their glucose levels each and every day.
How Do Blood Glucose Meters Work?
Blood glucose meters are small devices that use a mini needle to prick the skin, producing a small drop of blood, which is then placed on a small strip and analyzed by the electronic machine within seconds. The monitor then displays the glucose levels within the blood.
For the majority of those living with diabetes, these monitors are absolutely essential to their survival and they are never without them.
Smartwatches Are Now Offering the Same Medical Care
Now, some smartwatches and rings are reporting that, like the prescribed glucose monitors, they too can inform people of their exact blood sugar levels, but without piercing the skin.
At first, this seemed like an incredibly exciting service for those living with diabetes as it meant they wouldn’t have to carry around a glucose monitor: they could just use their smartwatch.
Smartwatches Do Not Offer Accurate Blood Sugar Level Readings
But, unfortunately, it has become clear that without actually taking a blood sample, these devices cannot accurately read blood sugar levels specifically enough for diabetics to use them instead of a medical glucose monitor.
However, it became increasingly evident many people didn’t know that the smartwatches were inaccurate and, in fact, quite dangerous for diabetics.
What Does the FDA Have to Say About Smartwatches?
Because many people were unaware of the fact that smartwatches that claim they are reading glucose levels are in no way accurate enough to be used as a medical device, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) decided they needed to make an announcement.
Within the statement, released on February 21, 2024, the FDA told Americans: “Do not buy or use smartwatches or smart rings that claim to measure blood glucose levels… the safety and effectiveness of these devices have not been reviewed by FDA.”
The FDA Is Working to Get Smartwatch Companies to Remove Glucose Monitoring from the List of Services
In addition to warning Americans with diabetes not to try to use these smartwatches to track their blood sugar levels, the FDA is also hard at work trying to get smartwatch companies to remove this service from the spec lists.
In the statement they wrote, “The agency is working to ensure that manufacturers, distributors, and sellers do not illegally market unauthorized smartwatches or smart rings that claim to measure blood glucose levels.”
It’s Hyper Important That Doctors Understand This Technological Shortcoming
The FDA also made it exceptionally clear that all physicians need to be aware that smartwatches and rings cannot accurately read glucose levels without pricking the skin.
The administration has asked doctors to: “Talk to [their] patients about the risk of using unauthorized blood glucose measuring devices,” and “Help [their] patients select an appropriate, FDA-authorized, blood glucose measuring device.”
Are There Any Smartwatches Safe for Diabetics?
It’s important to understand that no smartwatch that does not pierce the skin is safe for diabetics to use as a replacement for their glucose monitor.
However, there are apps on some smart devices that can connect to doctor recommended monitors to keep track of blood sugar levels over time. While these apps can be helpful, they work in conjunction with the medical devices, and not as a replacement.
Are Smartwatches Reliable for Medical Information?
While it’s impossible for a smartwatch to analyze one’s blood, technically, it can track a user’s heart rate and quality of sleep.
That being said, research has shown that these watches aren’t really that accurate. Users can enjoy knowing, more or less, where their heart rate sits after exercise or if they had a good night’s sleep, but they should never use this information in replace of actual medical tests.
Smartwatches Are Not Approved Medical Devices
What the FDA and doctors around the country want everyone, but specifically diabetics, to understand is that smartwatches and rings are in no way medical devices.
While they work toward forcing tech companies to take these specs off the list of offerings, it’s crucial that people keep themselves safe by only using FDA approved monitors to track their blood sugar, heart rate, and whatever other bodily concerns they may have.
