One Drop Blood Glucose Meter Now Sends Data Directly to Apple Watch

By Jimmy McDermott and Adam Brown

One Drop’s Chrome becomes the first blood glucose meter to send data directly to Apple Watch without a nearby phone. Plus, new health features on the Series 4 Apple Watch and when direct-to-Watch is coming for Dexcom CGM.

One Drop’s new Chrome blood glucose meter (BGM) can now send blood sugar data directly to the Apple Watch Series 2, 3, and 4 via Bluetooth. This means users can log glucose levels and see trends without a phone nearby, simplifying diabetes management on-the-go. One Drop is the first diabetes device with direct-to-Watch integration, a trend we also expect to see in CGM – potentially starting with Dexcom in 2019.

One Drop’s new Bluetooth-enabled Chrome BGM is now shipping for $49.95. Current One Drop Chrome users that want direct-to-Watch integration will need the newer version of the BGM.

One Drop also continues to offer convenient monthly plans for test strips and diabetes coaching that don’t require insurance, prescriptions, or visiting the pharmacy – these range from 50 strips/month for $24.95, 100 strips/month for $34.95, and unlimited strips for $49.95 per month. mySugr offers a similar bundle of unlimited strips and coaching for $39.95 per month.

Looking ahead, One Drop will soon launch an interesting “Automated Decision Support” feature for its app users with type 2 diabetes not using insulin. This will take data from the One Drop app (e.g., blood sugar, food, exercise) and provide forward-looking blood sugar predictions (up to 12 hours) and recommendations to keep blood sugars in range.

What about direct-to-Apple Watch for CGM?

Three CGM systems currently have approved Apple Watch apps – Dexcom’s G6 and G5 and Senseonics’ Eversense. However, these require the phone to be nearby to display data, meaning they are “secondary display” apps. Dexcom continues to work on direct-to-Apple Watch CGM transmission (“primary display”), which as of July was expected to launch sometime next year (2019). Medtronic’s Guardian Connect displays notifications on the Apple Watch, but does not currently show real-time data.

New health features come to Apple Watch Series 4: Electrocardiogram (ECG) detects irregular heartbeats and fall detection notifies emergency services in the event of a fall.

The Series 4 Apple Watch also allows users to take an electrocardiogram (ECG) by touching the dial on the side of the watch (see image). This 30-second test records the electrical activity of the heart and alerts a user of unusually high or low heart rates and irregular heart rhythms, known as atrial fibrillation (AFib). AFib may increase the risk of stroke and heart disease. This technology may be particularly beneficial for individuals with diabetes, who are at increased risk of AFib.

The ECG app will be available “later this year” and was cleared by the FDA for individuals 22 years and over.

In addition, the Apple Watch Series 4 is able to detect falls automatically, a big deal for people with diabetes at risk of severe hypoglycemia or those that are older and live alone. In the event of a fall, the watch will detect the sudden change in motion and display the immediate option to call emergency services. If a user does not respond to the prompt after 60 seconds, the watch will automatically call 911 and send a message to emergency contacts.