FDA approves system that wirelessly monitors your blood glucose 24/7 via a smartphone

Apple has been working for years on a way to allow the Apple Watch to offer non-invasive blood glucose readings to users. This test would be used by insulin-dependent diabetics to help them determine how much insulin they need to inject before each meal. Currently, a diabetic must use a sharp tool called a lancet to draw blood and place that blood on an expensive test strip which is inserted into a glucometer. It is a painful and expensive test.

Besides Apple, Samsung also is believed to be working on a non-invasive blood glucose test for its smartwatches. However, it seems that the technology to make this happen is just not there yet. There is an alternative you can consider if you're a diabetic and it does not require a prescription. According to 9to5Mac, the FDA has "cleared for marketing" the first over-the-counter (OTC) continuous glucose monitor (CGM) named the Dexcom Stelo Glucose Biosensor System.

This system uses a wearable sensor that reads the user's blood sugar and via Bluetooth, it sends readings every 15 minutes to an app on a user's smartphone or other smart device. Here's the thing though. Strange as it sounds, the Dexcom Stelo Glucose Biosensor System is NOT intended for insulin-dependent diabetics. "The Dexcom Stelo Glucose Biosensor System is an integrated CGM (iCGM) intended for anyone 18 years and older who does not use insulin, such as individuals with diabetes treating their condition with oral medications, or those without diabetes who want to better understand how diet and exercise may impact blood sugar levels." Each sensor can be worn for as long as 15 days before it needs to be replaced.

To give you an idea of how far Apple and Samsung might have to go before offering non-invasive blood glucose readings on their respective smartwatches, the FDA warned consumers not to rely on non-invasive blood glucose monitors at this stage because they are not reliable. The Dexcom Stelo Glucose Biosensor System is expected to be released during this coming summer.