Get the latest tech news

No, smartwatches and smart rings can’t measure blood glucose yet

Don’t buy any consumer wearable that claims it can do this.

Today, the Food and Drug Administration has issued a safety communication that warns consumers, patients, and healthcare professionals that the agency has “not authorized, cleared, or approved any smartwatch or smart ring that is intended to measure or estimate blood glucose values on its own.” Unfortunately, you can find unscrupulous companies at trade shows like CES hawking smart rings and smartwatches that claim to take noninvasive blood glucose measurements. In general, smartwatches and smart rings can have FDA-cleared features (i.e., EKGs and atrial fibrillation detection), but they are not considered medical devices and shouldn’t be treated as such.

Get the Android app