WSJ: The Apple Watch can track glucose levels
Those affected with diabetes will soon be able to track their blood sugar levels with an Apple Watch, according to The Wall Street Journal.
A new glucose monitoring app by DexCom is expected to arrive when Cupertino’s new wearable device launches in April. The tool will interface with DexCom’s line of glucose monitors that use tiny sensors embedded just under the surface of the skin and takes blood sugar readings every five minutes. The companion app reads that data and creates a graph on the Apple Watch.
In January, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) concluded that the Apple Watch wasn’t a medical device. Instead, the wearable device is being labeled a “general wellness” tool.
These types of devices are those related to: weight management, physical fitness, relaxation or stress management, mental acuity, self-esteem, sleep management, or sexual function. Medical devices, by definition, are those which make claims regarding the treatment, or diagnosis, of diseases or conditions such as obesity, eating disorders, anxiety, autism, muscle atrophy, or erectile dysfunction.
This important distinction means that developers don’t need to get the FDA’s approval prior to releasing a health-based app.
First introduced in September, the Apple Watch has always been marketed as a health and fitness tool. However, Apple has yet to confirm whether the device can track data like blood sugar levels.
We should know very soon. Cupertino is likely to hold a special event for the Apple Watch on Feb. 24.
