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Smartwatches can be a great tool to help people living with diabetes maintain a healthy lifestyle.
These devices can help you manage your diet, heart rate, calorie intake, and even stress levels.
Currently, smartwatches cannot directly monitor blood glucose levels, and the FDA warns against the use of watches or rings that claim to be able to measure blood glucose levels. However, an external CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) system can be linked to a smartwatch to get blood glucose measurements.
I have done a lot of research to find the best smartwatch for people with diabetes and answer some of the most common questions about smartwatches.
Smartwatch Review
In my opinion, these are the 5 best smartwatches for people living with diabetes currently on the market.
Most features
Apple Watch Series 9
Apple has many apps that help people living with diabetes manage their condition, such as sugar sensation, glucose buddies, and diabetes trackers.
More importantly, even if you don’t have an iPhone, you can still link your watch to Dexcom CGM to display your blood glucose data. This is the first and currently only a smartwatch that connects directly to Dexcom via the official Dexcom app.
You can also link other CGM brands such as Freestyle Ribble to your Apple Watch through third-party apps such as Librewatch and NightGuard.
The Apple Series 9 also manages important health issues, and its ECG is considered accurate and notifies you of heart rate irregularities.
While lack of sleep can have a negative impact on people with diabetes, Series 9 has sleep tracking capabilities to support your overall health.
The Series 9 has an 18-hour battery life and is 36 hours in low power mode. You can still make calls and receive messages even if you don’t have a phone nearby.
- Connect to Dexcom CGM – Display blood glucose data on your wrist
- Only smartwatches that link directly to Dexcom CGM (Apple Watch 6 and later)
- Large Durable Display – The screen is easy to read and can withstand damage
- More expensive than other watches with similar features
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Most advanced
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
The Samsung Galaxy 6 is made to last on a sapphire crystal glass face.
This smartwatch lets you see Dexcom’s blood glucose readings and trends over time. The clock will connect to your Android phone, but you still have to bring it with you to see the readings of your watch.
The Galaxy 6 has many clock faces to choose from, and includes features such as sleep coaching and a bioelectrical impedance analysis sensor (BIA) that reads body fat, skeletal muscles, body water, and basal metabolic rates.
This watch automatically detects many popular activities such as running and swimming, and uses GPS function to track outdoor sports. The Galaxy 6 also offers GPS with extended functionality with voice navigation on the wrist.
- Connect to Dexcom CGM (using a third-party app)
- Enhanced body composition analysis including weight and metabolic rate
- Advanced sleep coaching
- Some features are exclusive to the Samsung ecosystem
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Garmin Ben 4
Garmin SmartWatches is a solid competitor for Apple Watches for those who don’t want Apple products.
Garmin offers the official Dexcom widget, so if you have a compatible smartphone, you can view your blood glucose readings directly on the Garmin Venu 4.
There are many health features associated with people with diabetes, including heart rate monitors, abnormal heart rate alerts, stress monitoring, relaxation reminders, and the functionality of sleep coaches.
It also provides a pulse oximeter that measures the amount of oxygen in the bloodstream, similar to ECG.
The Garmin Venu 4 has a battery life of 11 hours and up to 14 days when the watch is stored in smartwatch mode.
It is “swimproof” and allows you to call directly from the clock and send text messages.
- Connect to Dexcom CGM – Display blood glucose data on your wrist
- Many high-tech features
- Perfect for tracking many types of exercise
- Bulky watch
- Battery life may be short
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Ticwatch Pro 3 GPS Smartwatch
Ticwatch’s Pro 3 smartwatch is perfect for those pursuing a healthy lifestyle. It has several sport modes and a 24-hour heart rate monitoring feature that is perfect for those who want to improve their fitness.
This model has 8GB of internal memory that can store many apps and songs. You can also select two modes to make the battery last longer. Primary mode offers 45 days of battery life.
This model works well with Dexcom CGMS via the XDRIP app.
You can see your energy intake, heart rate, blood oxygen, and sleep satisfaction. This watch can also link to apps like MyFitnessPal and MapMyrun to track your food intake and exercise levels.
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Buying Guide
Can a smartwatch display health data for sure?
Smartwatches can display blood sugar levels, but you cannot measure them yourself. To obtain blood glucose information, it must be linked to an external CGM system, which is as accurate and reliable as the CGM you use.
Except for Apple Watches 6 or later, your phone needs to be carried around as the watch needs to connect to your phone and display blood glucose readings.
Apart from blood glucose data, smartwatches can help diabetic people manage their healthy lifestyles. They can see your calorie intake, diet plan, heart rate, sleep patterns and stress levels.
These benefits sound amazing, but remember that none of these devices are 100% accurate. Nevertheless, choosing brands like Samsung, Fitbit, Garmin, Apple is a good idea. These will be more expensive, but those devices will be more accurate than cheaper options.
Most of the time, getting a more reliable smartwatch means you have to let go of more money.
Furthermore, the accuracy of a smartwatch depends on the position of the watch and the stability of the wrist. When measuring your heart rate or blood pressure, aim to keep your arms and wrists as stable as possible.
All movements can affect the measurement process and can result in inaccurate results.
Current CGM devices that link with smartwatches
It is currently a part of CGM devices that can be linked to smartwatches. You should consider these options before purchasing a smartwatch.
Dexcom G6 &g7
Dexcom’s G6 and G7 models are the brand’s latest glucose monitors. They use sensors to measure glucose continuously over a 10-day period. The sensor has a small needle that reaches the interstitial fluid under the skin, holding a sticky patch in place on the surface of the skin.
Both models can be connected directly to the smartwatch. You can also send this information to Android and iPhone smartphones via Bluetooth.
Monitor glucose levels and send an alert if they are too low. They are FDA approved and are suitable for people over the age of 2, so both adults and children can wear them.
Freestyle Ribble 2 &3 (and 3 plus)
Freestyle Libre measures interstitial fluids and provides blood glucose data like Dexcom.
This is a real-time CGM that sends blood glucose readings to a specified receiver or phone app, allowing you to view data on many smartwatches.
Freestyle 2 and 3 sensors last for 14 days before replacement is required, while Libre 3 Plus lasts for 15 days.
Freestyle Libre 2 is indicated for those over 2 years old, while Freestyle 3 is indicated for those over 4 years old.
Smartwatches can help people who live with diabetes
Below are some of the benefits that smartwatches can have for diabetics.
You can manage the state
One of the best ways to control diabetes is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. A smartwatch is a great tool to help you take care of your happiness.
A smartwatch linked to a blood glucose monitoring system is one of the easiest ways to do so.
These devices can act as a consistent medical examination. For example, if your blood sugar levels drop or rise too much, your smartwatch will alert you and indicate that you need to take action.
Quickly read your blood sugar levels And carefully
Traditional blood glucose detection methods can take time. A CGM-linked smartwatch allows you to glimpse your wrist and quickly and efficiently check your blood sugar levels.
This is very useful in meetings, social gatherings, and other places where you may prefer to carefully check your blood sugar levels.
It is also very practical when exercising, driving, or doing other things in places you don’t want to check your blood sugar levels with a cell phone or finger stick.
It’s more socially acceptable than checking your phone
You may be able to check your blood sugar levels through a smartphone, but there are many cases where checking your phone is unacceptable.
You may be driving your car, at a meeting, or, if you’re young, perhaps at school. Checking your phone is not too careful and penalties can occur on the street or during class.
Smartwatches can provide notifications without playing sounds on the user’s phone. Some offer vibration options that are not noticeable to others.
You have to glance at your wrist to look at the numbers without making your surroundings rude.
You can also use your smartwatch to check your blood sugar levels without being distracted by other smartphone apps. This is ideal if you want to increase productivity as you can use your smartwatch to check your blood sugar levels while you’re working.
What to look for when buying a smartwatch?
Apart from the choice of CGM, there are other things that people who live with diabetes should consider before purchasing a smartwatch.
Let’s take a look at the rest of the handy buyer’s guide below and see what you should be aware of!
Accuracy
This is a device that measures blood glucose levels, so the accuracy of the CGM is a problem. Nevertheless, accuracy is also important when considering other metrics like heart rate and blood oxygen.
You need as accurate information as possible to better understand your health. This will let you know where you are making progress and where you need to improve.
All of these help you maintain a healthy lifestyle that is important when living with diabetes.
Features
Apart from linking to CGM, your smartwatch needs a variety of health features that will help you with your well-being. Features like heart rate measurements and calorie intake help to maintain a fit.
High-end smartwatches may have features like measuring blood oxygen, but this may not be necessary depending on your needs.
Budget is a factor that determines the functioning of a watch, but the basic model should still have the right choice.
design
Smartwatches tend to be designed to be comfortable, but you need to make sure that the choice you choose is not too heavy on your wrist.
You also need to make sure your smartwatch is not too big or too small for your needs. This depends primarily on your build, but your lifestyle also affects this.
While athletes and exercisers often require bold designs, working professionals may prefer a sophisticated look.
The face of the watch is also important. There’s no point in purchasing a smartwatch and continuing to read it!
Battery life
It is important to buy a smartwatch with a long lifespan, especially if you wear a smartwatch almost constantly to get CGM measurements.
Smartwatches need a decent battery life, so you don’t have to keep charging too often.
Charging time is also important. The model should not take most of the day to fully charge.
water resistance
Whether washing your hands or soaking in the pool, a good smartwatch should be water resistant. Diabetics may even prefer to wear smartwatches in the shower to get CGM alerts, so your model needs to keep the water well.
Smartwatches are not completely waterproof, but try looking for models that can survive under 5 feet deep or shallow water. These should survive in the shower, in the laundry, or even in the swimming area.
FAQ
What benefits can people living with diabetes benefit from smartwatches?
People living with diabetes can manage their condition by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Smartwatches have many health features that help diabetics better understand their health.
Your calorie intake, sleep quality, and heart rate are all part of what your smartwatch can track. You can also link to a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to display your blood glucose levels.
Can a smartwatch monitor blood sugar levels?
Currently, smartwatches cannot measure blood sugar levels directly from the wrist. However, you can link to a continuous blood glucose monitor to view blood glucose data. CGM is usually worn on the surface of the skin.
They usually have sensors that penetrate the skin and measure interstitial glucose levels. This is the fluid glucose content between cells.
Once you have this data, you can connect to your smartphone or smartwatch using an app that displays this data.
Are there any drawbacks to using a smartwatch to manage diabetes?
Traditional fingering methods to measure blood sugar levels take a lot of time. It can also become uncomfortable as the process draws out blood. However, this method allows you to know what your glucose level is at that exact moment.
The smartwatch links to CGMs that show glucose levels under the skin. It takes longer for glucose levels to be shown in interstitial fluid compared to in blood. This means that CGM may exhibit delayed blood glucose levels.
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