They warn about the danger of smart watches measuring blood sugar

United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA, for its initials in English) warned this Wednesday Smartwatches and rings that measure blood sugar levels, although without piercing the skin, can be dangerous,

This suggestion applies to any item, regardless of brand, that claims to measure blood sugar levels in a non-invasive manner. In that sense, the agency clarified that it has not authorized any device of this type.

Meanwhile, the agency’s notice does not include smart watch applications involving sensors, such as continuous glucose monitoring systems that directly measure blood sugar.

The use of these types of devices comes in a context where an average of 37 million Americans suffer from diabetes. People who suffer from this disease are not able to control their blood sugar effectively because their body is resistant to insulin or does not produce enough insulin.

To monitor the pathology, patients should periodically check their blood sugar levels with a meter that requires drawing fluid from a finger prick or with a sensor that continuously monitors sugar levels. Places needles under the skin. Glucose.

Faced with this panorama, Dr. Robert Gabay of the American Diabetes Association highlights that “Using non-approved smart watches and rings can lead to inaccurate blood glucose measurements, with potentially devastating consequences., That condition can cause people to take the wrong dose of the drug, which can lead to dangerous levels of sugar in the blood tissue and possibly “mental confusion, coma, or even death.”

Although several companies are working on non-invasive devices to measure blood glucoseSo far no one has created a product “accurate and safe enough to receive FDA approval”.”Researcher David Klonoff explained.

According to the expert, a member of Sutter Health Mills Medical Center, the technology that allows smartwatches and rings to measure parameters such as heart rate and blood oxygen is not accurate enough to measure sugar levels. Methods for measuring blood sugar in body fluids such as tears, sweat and saliva are also not ready for commercial release.

“It’s a challenge, and I think at some point there will be at least one scientist or engineer willing to solve it,” Klonoff said, adding, “It all comes down to risk.” “If the FDA approves it, the risk is very small. “If a product that has not been authorized by the FDA is used, the risk is generally much greater,” he said.