Fitbit already gives you the ability to monitor your heart health, stress and blood oxygen levels on some of them look. Now the company is tracking blood sugarmonitoring with a new function in the Fitbit application.
The addition is good news for those with diabetes, as well as for anyone with a medical condition who may need to monitor their blood sugar. But to be clear, this is not a non-invasive alternative to finger pricking with a glucometer. This is a software update that allows users to record or import blood sugar and then see how it relates to other health values such as sleep, exercise and food over time. The app will also allow users to set custom intervals so they can identify other factors that could affect their blood sugar. You can also activate wrist reminders to record your blood sugar.
Fitbit Premium users will do this get a few more benefits, such as seeing how often their glucose levels fall within the target range each month and other data trends. Premium users will also be able to share their blood glucose data through Fitbit’s Wellness Report.
While users can manually record their measurements, Fitbit says that anyone who uses the OneTouch Reveal app from LifeScan can automatically import their data. The company says it plans to integrate with other meters and applications soon. To turn on the feature, you can go to the Fitbit Discovery tab, go to Health and Fitness Statistics, and add blood glucose. (If you don’t see it there yet, you may have to wait a bit, as Fitbit says the feature will be released this month.)
G / O Media may receive a commission
More broadly, it seems to be blood sugarmonitoring could be the next big thing in health. Rumor has it that both Apple and samsung are working on ways to non-invasively monitor blood sugar in their next smart watches. I also saw a non-invasive blood glucose levelsmartwatch prototype monitoring at this year CES. These are certainly more ambitious than what Fitbit currently offers, but those watches they may also never see the light of day. A device that accurately reports blood glucose levels It could be much more life-threatening than, say, a single ECG reading, so these proposed devices will they also need FDA authorization before entering the market.
Fitbit feature does not need FDA authorization because it is strictly a tool that helps you monitor your data. That being said, it comes with a disclaimer: it is not a substitute for a proper diagnosis from your doctor, nor is it something you should base your treatment on without talking to a doctor.
Fitbit also makes its health features accessible to multiple users, extending access to its Health Metrics dashboard. The feature was introduced with Sense and Versa 3 last fall, but will now be available to Versa 2, Inspire 2 and Charge 4 users, although you’ll be limited to last week’s trends. As in the blood glucose monitoring, Fitbit Premium members will do gain the ability to see personal intervals in that dashboard as well. Charge 4 users also receive a small SpO2 treatment in a future update, which will allow them to see the readings directly on the wrist; they will also be able to view SpO2 and skin temperature data in the dashboard. Meanwhile, Fitbit Sense users in Canada, New Zealand and the US will also receive the ECG application this month.