Apple has added a new one to its efforts to develop technology for blood sugar monitoring and prediabetes management. According to Bloomberg news, Apple aims to help employees better manage prediabetes through a new application it is testing with its employees. The news, based on internal sources of the company, states that during the testing phase, employees recorded changes in their blood sugar levels by associating them with the foods they ate. With this system, it is aimed for individuals to make decisions that will reduce the risk of diabetes by showing how carbohydrate-rich meals affect blood sugar levels.
Apple’s work in this field actually goes back much further. This project, which was launched in 2010 and carried out under the code name “E5”, includes Apple’s goal of developing a non-invasive glucose monitoring technology. Many features we see today in Apple Watch and other health-oriented technologies appear as part of these well-established projects. This secret project of Apple started during the reign of CEO Steve Jobs with the purchase of a company called RareLight, which was working on rare light technology (optical sensors). The company has made significant progress in this field with years of investments and technology developments, but it is stated that it may still take a few years for the final version of the technology to be offered to consumers.
Metabolic health monitoring trend in wearable technologies
Apple’s efforts to produce solutions for blood sugar management can be considered part of a widespread trend in health monitoring in wearable technologies. As of 2024, health technology giants such as Dexcom and Abbott have launched continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices abroad, which can be sold without a prescription for prediabetic individuals and type 2 diabetes patients. These devices process blood sugar monitoring data in a way that helps users improve their daily lives, allowing them to observe how their eating habits are reflected in their personal blood sugar values.
It is thought that the application developed by Apple can also make an additional contribution to such metabolic health tracking tools. By integrating with third-party CGM devices, the company allows users to view this data within a more comprehensive health ecosystem on their iPhone and Apple Watch devices. Although Apple has no plans to release this application developed for prediabetes management so far, it is possible that the data obtained will be integrated into future Apple Watch models and health-oriented applications.
Apple conducted these secret tests on a very limited group of employees. Employees entered the program with a blood test confirming they were diagnosed with prediabetes and then monitored their blood sugar levels with a variety of commercially available glucose meters. This system, developed by Apple to show how eating habits affect blood sugar levels, has the potential to raise awareness for a wide range of users in the future.
Although efforts to launch the application are currently suspended, Apple’s investments in health technologies continue unabated. The tests show that the company has expanded its scope in the field of health technologies and can use this data in a more integrated way in its future devices. Like other major health technology companies, Apple continues to be active in this field with the aim of developing solutions that enable individuals to manage their metabolic health on their own.