The FDA Wants to Remind You That Your Smartwatch Can't Measure Blood Sugar Yet

From CNET: In a warning posted to its website Wednesday, the US Food and Drug Administration reminded consumers that there's no FDA-cleared smartwatch or ring that can measure your blood glucose levels.

It also said to avoid any wearable that claims it can, and report it if you've used one. For people with diabetes who rely on accurate blood glucose measurements, false glucose information can have dangerous consequences, such as leading someone to take the wrong dose of insulin.

The FDA didn't name any specific companies marketing their products as being able to accurately measure glucose, which is also called blood sugar. Instead, the FDA called attention to devices that claim to track blood glucose non-invasively, which may be "manufactured by dozens of companies and sold under multiple brand names."

The agency was careful to distinguish smartwatches or smartrings from glucose-tracking products that "pierce the skin," which would include the sensors and continuous glucose monitoring devices that people with diabetes have been using for years to manage their blood sugar. Recently, this biosensor technology has started to move into mainstream wellness tracking, but still with regulatory clearance for specific uses or marketing.

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