Alert on Smartwatches Measuring Blood Glucose

An FDA safety alert is warning healthcare professionals and consumers about the risks related to using smartwatches or smart rings that claim to measure blood glucose levels without piercing the skin. “These devices are different than smartwatch applications that display data from FDA-authorized blood glucose measuring devices that pierce the skin, like continuous glucose monitoring devices (CGMs),” the alert says, adding that the agency has not authorized any smart device for measuring these values on its own.

FDA says that relying on these tools could lead to errors in diabetes management, including taking the wrong dose of insulin, sulfonylureas, or other medications that can rapidly lower blood glucose. “Taking too much of these medications can quickly lead to dangerously low glucose, leading to mental confusion, coma, or death within hours of the error,” the alert warns.