T1, for nearly 35 years. I check my blood sugar WAY more than 3 times a day . . . and I have a CGM. The CGM is just not reliably accurate enough. I am lucky. I have great insurance. So all this is covered. But I have kept my A1C at 6.0 or lower for more than 5 years (that's like a non-diabetic). I could not have done that without the help of a CGM, a pump, and lots of testing. If my insurance were not as good as it is, I simply could not have afforded to take this good care of myself. This month, I'm making the move from Medtronic to Dexcom and Tandem. Excited to see how well that works. As an aside, we are a family of T1s. My wife is also a T1 (no, that's not how or why we met, just a crazy coincidence) and now, our 4-year-old daughter is also a T1. Our experience with her Dexcom and Tandem pushed me to make the switch. I anticipate my wife will follow in our footsteps to make the switch in the next year, when insurance will cover her upgrade.
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Apple Watch Series 7 Rumored to Feature Blood Glucose Monitoring
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"Think about the amount of sensors in your car". I'm guessing not everyone has a car, or even if they do have a car with the latest and greatest sensors. Of course Tim Cook wants to promote the latest sensor on Apple watch but no need to make unrealistic comparisons.
Because those of us who are t1s know that what people think of as an inaccurate reading is not what you actually get. Non-diabetics think an inaccurate reading is something that's off by 10-20%, but it's not uncommon to see readings on invasive CGMs off by 50% or more. The value of a CGM is not in telling you your blood sugar levels in a moment. It's in telling you your trend (whether you're rising or dropping). They're decent at doing that. The thing is, I'm not sure I understand how that would be of much use to someone who isn't a diabetic, but I'd be willing to admit I was wrong. Hope this turns out to be the breakthrough they've suggested, but not anticipating it.
Good luck with Tslim and Dexcom. My guess is you will love the combo. Control IQ technology is awesome and getting us closer to a closed loop. Also, I find my G6 accuracy to be on point the great majority of the time. I cannot remember the last time I pricked my finger and my last a1c was 5.4.
Well, we’re close. Stuff like the Freestyle Libre use NFC. You just read the value by holding the phone close.
But, still needs to be replaced about every other week.
Note, this rumor is older than the Apple watch itself, previous versions of non invasive "GlucoWatch" CGMs have not panned out. I have been waiting 20+ years for this technology to emerge and hope Apple brings something ground breaking to the game, but most likely this is just an old and dusty rumor that keeps getting recycled far too often.
diabeticinvestor.com
The return of the “GlucoWatch” - Diabetic Investor
Diabetic Investor once referred to the diabetes business as the “Hotel California”, a place where you can check out but never leave. At the time we were referring to the many executives who made their mark then left the industry only to return. As it...
diabeticinvestor.com
Yes they are to blame for Australia,..Apple need to apply to the TGA for approval in Australia & as of late last year, still had not.
The biggest mistake they made, was that they launched ECG as a "medical device" feature.
How?? It was never advertised in Australia as having ECG. You paid for an Apple watch, not for ECG. You should have returned it to Apple of you weren't happy with your purchase!
Even inaccurate, it could be enough to discern “you’re ok” vs “you need to do a blood check now” vs “call 911?”, at least reducing need for invasive testing (if not eliminating it).
A huge benefit, whatever its quality, is making non-diabetics aware of their range and getting early warning for “fix your diet NOW else become diabetic soon”. Preventive monitoring & maintenance is better than maintaining what’s broken.
I think most people would still test once a day with the usual method and use this for continuous monitoring.
I just bought a 6, but considering how amazing it is I’d definitely consider buying a 7 with this very useful feature
Best apple product I’ve bought in years , brilliant
Best apple product I’ve bought in years , brilliant
RFID would basically just be the communications part; getting the constant measuring right without having to replace, or recharge, the device is the tricky part. And once we solve that once and for all, I don't think it'll need to be surgically implanted.
So it might sound reasonable to talk about an RFID-thingie, but once you get into the details that sort of solves a problem that doesn't need to be solved once the real problem is solved.
That seems wildly optimistic to me.
Also not sure I see the 911 scenario here. If you’re experiencing a medical emergency, do not take a measurement before calling an ambulance. You can either handle it yourself or you can’t.
Can it discern if you’re OK? Maybe. If it’s off even by 50 mg/dL, not really. If it measures 70 and your value might actually be 45, or 95, that’s kind of a big difference.
Yes, I can see potential benefits for non-diabetics or pre-diabetics.
I can imagine a UI here where the Watch detects a value above 100 mg/dL, asks if you’ve eaten recently, and if not, that’s a sign you should get checked out. But that’s really all it is — a screening. Not nothing, and could be hugely helpful to detect diabetes more early, but not quite what some are expecting here.
There is an implantable sensor on the market, the cost is high, it recharges magnetically, requires a surgical procedure to implant and remove the sensor
For those who may be unfamiliar, or need a reminder, the Eversense system from Maryland-based Senseonics is the world’s first long-term implantable CGM. It consists of a tiny sensor the size of a small twig that is implanted underneath the skin in the upper arm for 90-day wear (approved for 180 day-wear in Europe); a flat oval black transmitter worn over the insertion site and held in place with an adhesive; and a smartphone app that contains the data monitoring and control functions. We detailed all the specs of the system in our original coverage here
Eversense
Considering that, just yesterday, my watch informed my that I'd closed my exercise ring literally in the midst of sitting in front of the TV for an hour while eating pizza, I'm not clear what you mean by this ;-)
Have done no listed information being lodged by apple. Apple wont comment wont also refund. Becauce it’s not available after you buy not realising. TGA hardest in the world to get things past. Same as COVID vacs. There both a joke. I’ve rung at least 15 times.
Well TGA say never been lodged by apple and there is no comment from apple sopped to many support staff love to Speak ti TIM.
You beat me to this precise phrase! I will say that true noninvasive blood glucose monitoring has been the focus of a number of companies with only two promising developments out there that I know of. If Apple has actually swept in and nailed a valid and reliable noninvasive sensor (we’ll see), it will be one of the biggest medical advances of our time, and I’ll be even happier than I already am that I own a bunch of AAPL.
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Type 1 diabetic here, weighing in. I currently wear a Dexcom continue glucose monitor and use an insulin pump. I'm going to assume that this Apple Watch would work well enough to make medical decisions -- e.g., do I give myself insulin based upon the glucose reading from my Apple Watch?
Although this would be a very welcome feature, I do not see it replacing my Dexcom CGM.
First, I cannot even tell that I'm wearing a Dexcom CGM, and it's connected 24 hours/day. This means I have blood glucose data all the time as long as I'm within Bluetooth proximity of my iPhone. (Unfortunately, the readings don't go directly to the Apple Watch yet; the iPhone remains an intermediary). This is a big deal -- when my blood sugar goes too high or too low when I'm asleep, I receive an audio alarm, even when my iPhone is charging by my bed. It's awesome. I do not want to wear an Apple Watch 24/7 or while I'm sleeping to achieve this.
Second, you have to take off an Apple Watch to recharge it, and during that often substantial time, that means I would receive no blood glucose readings. Apple Watches do not recharge very quickly, so no blood glucose readings during that time.
Setting that aside, the benefits cannot be minimized.
First, Type 1s like me hemorrhage cash just to stay alive. Insulin vials (2-3 per month at $300/vial in the US), transmitters and sensors for continuous glucose monitors, and insulin pump supplies are EXPEN$IVE. It's shocking. A one-time payment for an Apple Watch is a bargain compared to $125 (roughly) for a Dexcom sensor that lasts only 10 days. The price savings would open up the benefits of continuous glucose monitoring to so many diabetics who could benefit.
Second, I would love to be able to leave my iPhone behind when I go running or partake in other outdoor activities. Wearing only an Apple Watch, I could keep an eye on my blood sugar, and still have the benefits of music and communication. That would be killer.
Definitely a step in the right direction, though.
Although this would be a very welcome feature, I do not see it replacing my Dexcom CGM.
First, I cannot even tell that I'm wearing a Dexcom CGM, and it's connected 24 hours/day. This means I have blood glucose data all the time as long as I'm within Bluetooth proximity of my iPhone. (Unfortunately, the readings don't go directly to the Apple Watch yet; the iPhone remains an intermediary). This is a big deal -- when my blood sugar goes too high or too low when I'm asleep, I receive an audio alarm, even when my iPhone is charging by my bed. It's awesome. I do not want to wear an Apple Watch 24/7 or while I'm sleeping to achieve this.
Second, you have to take off an Apple Watch to recharge it, and during that often substantial time, that means I would receive no blood glucose readings. Apple Watches do not recharge very quickly, so no blood glucose readings during that time.
Setting that aside, the benefits cannot be minimized.
First, Type 1s like me hemorrhage cash just to stay alive. Insulin vials (2-3 per month at $300/vial in the US), transmitters and sensors for continuous glucose monitors, and insulin pump supplies are EXPEN$IVE. It's shocking. A one-time payment for an Apple Watch is a bargain compared to $125 (roughly) for a Dexcom sensor that lasts only 10 days. The price savings would open up the benefits of continuous glucose monitoring to so many diabetics who could benefit.
Second, I would love to be able to leave my iPhone behind when I go running or partake in other outdoor activities. Wearing only an Apple Watch, I could keep an eye on my blood sugar, and still have the benefits of music and communication. That would be killer.
Definitely a step in the right direction, though.
I hope it works for children and not just adults. It will be a game changer for not only kids with Type 1, but for better understanding ADD, ADHD, and Autism, and for helping kids (like my son) with sensory processing issues to understand when they are hungry and to do something about it.
Your points are not based on accurate knowledge of the watch.
If you were to simply charge the watch during your morning shower time and during dinner, it would be usable “24/7”. It doesn’t take that long to charge.
Your condition seems to be an extreme use case where you need an alarm in the middle of the night rather than being able to make your adjustments before bed and when you awake. So if you are concerned, I would say own 2, as it’s a health issue.
Yet you are unwilling to wear a watch to bed, despite your health issues, despite the benefits of wearing the watch to bed, including sleep tracking, heart rate monitoring, blood ox monitoring, gentle and effective wake up alarm, etc.
So stick with your monitor. It seems your life depends on it and you don’t want to change.
But for much of the rest of the world, this may be a game changer.
So frustrating that Dexcom to Apple Watch without iPhone as the pass through has not been enabled yet. I'm hoping it's standard on the G7. I actually exchanged messages with Kevin Lynch, VP Tech at Apple in 2017 regarding this and his response was:
"Thank you! Yes the support for Core Bluetooth in watchOS 4 will enable direct communication between the Dexcom sensor and your Watch, without requiring your iPhone to be nearby. We are very excited to be enabling this!"
I assume getting this functionality lies with Dexcom at this point.
That is simply not true.
Hyper and hypoglycemic people are not diabetic. But they have fluctuations in blood sugar that impacts mood, behavior and concentration. Some people develop long term health effects or suffer injury from fainting.