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

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.

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31 Comments

roake 820 comments · 10 Years

About 3 years ago

This would be sweet!

WilliamM 22 comments · 6 Years

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 574 comments · 6 Years

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 11421 comments · 8 Years

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.

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.