Apple testing health app to give unhealthy eaters a wake-up call – report

Apple has a long held ambition to bring non-invasive blood glucose monitoring to the Apple Watch to help people suffering from diabetes to keep tabs on their condition.

We know that from various reporting and intellectual property filings the company has made across a number of years. Now the company is reportedly working on a new health app that’s aimed at preventing the development of the type 2 diabetes for those at risk.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the app would enable management of blood sugar in tune with food consumption and lifestyle choices and would work in tandem with a blood sugar monitor.

The app was in testing with “select” Apple employees with pre-diabetes this summer, according to Gurman. The idea would be to log meals using the app, which would illustrate how consuming certain foods or drinks could impact blood sugar levels.

This visual indicator, coupled with in-app coaching, could give users the information they need to make healthier choices by recommending diet and lifestyle. The goal would be to avoid development of type 2 diabetes altogether, or slow the progression of the disease.

Gurman reports: “The company tested the service on select employees earlier this year, part of its broader push into blood-sugar features, according to the people, who asked not to be identified because the work is secret. Though Apple doesn’t have plans to release the app, the company may eventually integrate the technology into future health products, including a noninvasive glucose tracker that it’s been developing for more than a decade.”

Apple is believed to have a working prototype for blood glucose monitoring, but it’s not clear how close it is to incorporating the technology within a future Apple Watch.

Typically, a blood sugar measurement is done with a skin prick, so a non-invasive method within a popular consumer device like the Apple Watch would represent another health breakthrough in a category Apple is always looking to build out.