Those watches that say they measure blood sugar directly are garbage and are not approved for use for diabetics in any countryin the world.
If diabetics use them for treatment decisions. They could die. Especially if they use sulfonureas or insulins.
Do not waste your money.
August 29 (edited)
That's a really smart habit — always verifying with a finger stick! Accurate blood sugar readings are truly critical for making safe decisions about insulin, food, and activity.
Smartwatches that claim to measure blood sugar without piercing the skin are not FDA-approved and their accuracy varies wildly. One study found a Show Full Answer
That's a really smart habit — always verifying with a finger stick! Accurate blood sugar readings are truly critical for making safe decisions about insulin, food, and activity.
Smartwatches that claim to measure blood sugar without piercing the skin are not FDA-approved and their accuracy varies wildly. One study found a smartwatch was only accurate about 84% of the time, and another device called InCheck only met FDA accuracy standards about 19% of the time. That's a big margin for error when managing diabetes.
A DiabetesTeam member put it well: "They are not accurate, and it is just an easy way to get yourself in trouble. Stick with the blood sticks. Remember, if it sounds easy or too good to be true, it should be a hard pass when the device is supposed to help you make life decisions." As for alternatives to finger sticks, the CGM is currently the most reliable non-finger-stick option available. There are smartwatches that can *display* CGM readings on your wrist, but they rely on the CGM doing the actual measuring — the watch itself isn't doing the work.
Compatible smartwatches include:
- Apple Watch
- Fitbit
- Garmin
- Samsung watches
These pair with CGMs like the Dexcom G7 or Libre2 to show real-time readings conveniently on your wrist.
Beyond CGMs, other non-invasive technologies are still being researched and aren't yet proven safe or reliable enough for diabetes management. Talking to a healthcare provider about CGM options would be a great next step if finger sticks are becoming a challenge.
August 29
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