Apple Watch blood sugar monitoring is something the company reportedly wanted to do right from the start. A report back in 2023 said that the very first Apple Watch was initially intended to launch with non-invasive glucose measurement as a headline feature.

There have been numerous reports since then, a number of them claiming that the health feature would launch in whatever the upcoming Apple Watch was at the time. More than a decade later, it still hasn’t happened, but the launch of a new device suggests that we might be getting closer …

Why blood sugar monitoring matters

The International Diabetes Federation estimates that more than 10% of the adult population now has diabetes, and almost half of them don’t know it. Diabetes kills millions of people a year, and the risks are particularly acute for those who develop type 2 diabetes before the age of 40.

Early diagnosis saves lives, but existing blood sugar monitoring devices are invasive. That is, they require a small needle to be inserted into the skin. For that reason, only those with a known risk are likely to use the technology.
Non-invasive device in clinical trials

Non-invasive blood sugar monitoring has long been a holy grail in health tech. If the feature could be added to a device worn by millions of people around the world, like an Apple Watch, it has the potential to save a huge number of lives.

The most promising route to non-invasive glucose measurement is via breath. So-called “acetone breath” is a common symptom of diabetes, and Wired reports that a new device utilising this is going through clinical trials and hoping to receive FDA approval at some point this year.