Apple Tested Blood Sugar App for Preventing Diabetes

[MacRumors]

Apple has been testing a health-focused app that's aimed at diabetes prevention, reports Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The app isn't slated for release, but it could help inform some of Apple's future products related to blood sugar management.

Select employees with prediabetes were invited to test the app, which offered assistance with food selection and lifestyle changes. Employees who participated confirmed that they had prediabetes with a blood test, and then actively monitored their meals and their blood sugar using glucose monitoring devices.

The app was used to demonstrate to employees how healthy and unhealthy food choices could impact their blood sugar and lead to disease progression. A significant glucose spike after a carbohydrate-heavy meal, for example, could encourage testers to consume more protein and make different choices. Intervening at the prediabetes stage could help millions of people avoid developing diabetes 2.

According to Gurman, Apple used the app to look at how blood sugar data could be used, and what future tools might be helpful for consumers. For the last several years, Apple has been working to add non-invasive blood glucose monitoring functionality to the Apple Watch. Currently, most blood sugar tests require a skin prick, but Apple is developing a method that uses optical absorption spectroscopy and lasers to determine the concentration of glucose in the body without puncturing the skin.

As of last year, Apple's work on blood glucose monitoring had reached a "proof-of-concept" stage. Apple has a functional prototype device, but it is still much too large to incorporate into a device the size of the Apple Watch. It will likely be several more years before Apple is able to release an Apple Watch that has noninvasive blood sugar tracking features.

In the meantime, Apple could develop more advanced food logging and glucose tracking tools for the Health app, expanding integration with third-party blood glucose monitors.

Article Link: Apple Tested Blood Sugar App for Preventing Diabetes

 

[ellpee]

As usual no sources cited anonymous or otherwise, not even a general description of where this information is coming from. But everyone keep believing what Bloomberg tells you.

 

[surfzen21]

I just want something to shock me when I reach for that 5th cookie and this seems like just the device. Maybe it wont be FDA accurate for blood glucose but if im spiking and still eating cookies I want to know.

 

[Plutonius]

An app is fine but the best solution is to prevent diabetes before a person gets it.

For most people, that's watching their diet and exercising.

 

[lazyrighteye]

If they can get this right.... huge. Worthy endeavor. Way more so than genmoji.

 

[Haifisch]

I'm looking forward to this. Diabetes runs in my fam, and while I am reasonable active and keep a healthy body weight, I could definitely make better food choices. Health is wealth.

 

[smithrh]

An app is fine but the best solution is to prevent diabetes before a person gets it.

For most people, that's watching their diet and exercising.

Re-read the article. It's *specifically* about pre-diabetes.

 

[DotCom2]

If they can get this right.... huge. Worthy endeavor. Way more so than genmoji.

Also, Blood Pressure reading would be a BIGGIE!

 

[CarAnalogy]

Just curious, does anyone have a glucose measuring device of any size that does not require a blood sample?

If Apple has developed new medical technology the world needs, are they saving it until they can fit it in a watch?

 

[lazyrighteye]

An app is fine but the best solution is to prevent diabetes before a person gets it.

For most people, that's watching their diet and exercising.

🙄

It's an app. On a watch. It's not preventing anything. What it is doing (or looks to do) is offer important data, in what would be a revolutionary way, potentially helping better inform someone about their health. Seems a worthy endeavor to me.

 

[TheWraith]

As usual no sources cited anonymous or otherwise, not even a general description of where this information is coming from. But everyone keep believing what Bloomberg tells you.

Do you not know how journalism works? How would this work out to tell us where the information came from?

The evidence is whether people's stories check out over time. Gurman's overwhelmingly do.

 

[TheWraith]

An app is fine but the best solution is to prevent diabetes before a person gets it.

For most people, that's watching their diet and exercising.

Spoken like someone who doesn't know very much about diabetes, genetic heritage, or any of the important stuff.

This would be an incredible tool.

 

[ctdonath]

I just want something to shock me when I reach for that 5th cookie and this seems like just the device. Maybe it wont be FDA accurate for blood glucose but if im spiking and still eating cookies I want to know.

This.
Implemented in Watch, would have an enormous impact on culture, as millions suddenly became aware of the unseen immediate consequences (but massively problematic later) of their meal-by-meal dietary choices.

 

[ctdonath]

the best solution is to prevent diabetes before a person gets it.

That's the point: make a person immediately aware of dietary consequences, without vague "diet and exercise", alerting them to make a change NOW rather than waiting until "sorry, your pancreas just gave up".

 

[one more]

Just curious, does anyone have a glucose measuring device of any size that does not require a blood sample?

If Apple has developed new medical technology the world needs, are they saving it until they can fit it in a watch?

Well, both Abbott and Dexcom have small sensors that stick to a skin and stay for 10-14 days, continuously measuring glucose levels in the interstitial fluid. They still require an initial insertion prick with a needle, but once every 14 days is still way better than 4-5 finger-pricks a day.

 

[MacAddict1978]

As usual no sources cited anonymous or otherwise, not even a general description of where this information is coming from. But everyone keep believing what Bloomberg tells you.

This is probably more about a Health program to reduce Apple's employee health insurance costs than it is about a consumer app. They've done similar things before internally for those reasons when they were really exploring getting into healthcare - which seems to have died a quiet death and is never talked about anymore.

Lots of companies have apps like this for diabetes, medications, etc.

 

[macfacts]

Just curious, does anyone have a glucose measuring device of any size that does not require a blood sample?

If Apple has developed new medical technology the world needs, are they saving it until they can fit it in a watch?

Dexcom g6 and libre freestyle 2 are little devices with a small needle about 1/8 of an inch you put on your arm and Bluetooth sync to a smartphone app.

 

[jz0309]

So this app is for managing your lifestyle so to speak, that is a good thing. Combine that with some form of glucose detecting sensors and you’ll have a major win!!

 

[jz0309]

Dexcom g6 and libre freestyle 2 are little devices with a small needle about 1/8 of an inch you put on your arm and Bluetooth sync to a smartphone app.

Yes, those are available via prescription for type 1 (to the best of my knowledge) patients and are “patches” that go into your skin and actually require blood, and are good for I think 5-7 days or so. They’re great for type 1

 

[drsox]

An app is fine but the best solution is to prevent diabetes before a person gets it.

For most people, that's watching their diet and exercising.

deleted

 

[Belisama]

Dozens of companies and academic labs are trying to make devices to measure blood and/or interstitial glucose.
Doing this reliably with a wearable, affordable, and non invasive (micro-needle less) gadget is just a dream for now. This can't be a hobby.

 

[drsox]

Yes, those are available via prescription for type 1 (to the best of my knowledge) patients and are “patches” that go into your skin and actually require blood, and are good for I think 5-7 days or so. They’re great for type 1

Not so. They sample the interstitial fluid not the bloodstream. The two do correlate together (typically a 15min delay between the two). One version last 10 days and another 15 days. Many type 2 diabetics also self-fund a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) to monitor the "realtime" effects of food intake. True that type 1 diabetics get a CGM free in the UK from the NHS. Not so true for other types of diabetics.

 

[needsomecoffee]

Fantastic obviously re: diabetes. However -- if it practical -- CGM using the Apple Watch could be a fantastic health/diet tool for everyone. E.G.:

I Wore a Continuous Glucose Monitor for 2 Weeks—Here's What I Learned - Fitbit Blog

A Fitbit health coach wore a continuous glucose monitor for 14 days. Find out what she learned about her health.

store.google.com

 

[fathobbit]

I use a Dexcom G7 and love it, even has a direct connection to my Apple Watch. If Apple figures out an accurate way to measure blood glucose levels non-invasively then that would be amazing. However, I’ve been hearing about this kind technology since I was a diabetic kid and it hasn’t panned out so far.

 

[JippaLippa]

These health functions are pretty cool!