The FDA cautions against the use of smartwatches and rings that promise to measure blood sugar levels without the need for needles.
Smartwatches
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning on Wednesday against using rings that claim to measure blood sugar levels without piercing the skin for medical purposes, as they could pose a potential danger and should be avoided.
According to the agency, this warning pertains to all watches or rings, regardless of brand, that claim to noninvasively measure blood sugar levels. The FDA has not given authorization for any of these devices.
The notification from the agency does not pertain to smartwatch applications connected to sensors, like continuous glucose monitoring systems that directly measure blood sugar levels.
Diabetes is a condition in which individuals have difficulty regulating their blood sugar levels due to insufficient production of a certain hormone in their bodies.insulin
or they have developed a resistance to insulin.
In order to control the illness, individuals must routinely use a finger prick blood test or a sensor that inserts small needles under the skin to continuously monitor their glucose levels.
Dr. Robert Gabbay, from the American Diabetes Association, warns against the use of unapproved smartwatch and smart ring devices due to their potential for providing incorrect blood sugar readings. This could have severe consequences, such as patients taking incorrect doses of medication and experiencing dangerously high or low blood sugar levels, potentially resulting in confusion, coma, or even death.
Dr. David Klonoff, a researcher in diabetes technology for 25 years, stated that multiple companies are currently developing noninvasive tools to track blood sugar levels. However, none of these products have yet met the accuracy and security standards required for FDA approval.
According to Klonoff from the Sutter Health Mills-Peninsula Medical Center in San Mateo, California, the current technology used in smartwatches and rings is not precise enough to measure blood sugar levels. Additionally, attempts to measure blood sugar using body fluids like tears, sweat, and saliva are not yet reliable.
Klonoff stated that the task is difficult, but he is confident that eventually a scientist or engineer will be able to solve it.
In the interim, individuals who wish to accurately monitor their blood sugar levels can purchase a blood glucose monitor that has been approved by the FDA from any local pharmacy.
The main factor is risk. According to him, if the FDA gives approval, the risk is minimal. However, if you opt for a product that has not been approved by the FDA, the risk is usually significant.
Source: cbsnews.com