Help me, Tom’s Guide: I need an Apple Watch to monitor my diabetes

Help me, Tom'southward Guide: I need an Apple Watch to monitor my diabetes

(Epitome credit: Dexcom)

Gillian Lavelle spends up to threescore hours per calendar week cultivating educational activity for special needs children, both in school and private settings. But as a 23-year-old type 1 diabetic, cultivating stable insulin levels is a 24-7 concern.

"When it comes to controlling my glucose, I need abiding monitoring to understand the foods that affect my carbohydrate levels and to know when to correct them," Gillian said. "I've been a diabetic for over 10 years, but it wasn't until working from home during the pandemic that I realized I could scout the impact of anything I ate immediately, and how that's the best selection for me."

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How to utilize the Apple Watch

The flexibility of distance learning during the earlier days of the pandemic helped Gillian acutely manage her glucose readings and trends, only the special needs teacher is back in the classroom five days a calendar week, with off-hours dwelling house visits on three of those. She tin't monitor her claret sugar notifications on her iPhone SE every bit easily as she could while conducting lessons over Zoom.

Although she knows owning an Apple tree Picket could help, she'due south not certain which model to purchase. Then, she turned to me—one of her best friends—and asked for advice.

How to use an Apple Watch to monitor your diabetes

On its own, an Apple Watch can't check your glucose levels; y'all need to pair information technology with a continuous monitoring system such as Dexcom ($245 for transmitters, $1,035 for a three-month supply of disposable sensors) or FreeStyle Libre (ane-time $69.99 fee for receiver, $35.99 per 10-day sensor.)

You could also use a manual testing system such as I Drop ($thirty.99 - $89.99 per month, depending on how many daily tests you administer). Whichever method you lot prefer, having a device like an Apple Scout, which can brandish your glucose readings, could exist vital.

"If you're trending up or down, or heading towards a alter in blood sugar, yous can get your rescue before y'all experience the symptoms," Emmi Petti, a nurse at Duke University Infirmary and one of Gillian's trusted resources for diabetes data, said. "This is particularly helpful in situations when you don't have firsthand admission to your phone like when you're working and driving."

Dexcom, Gillian's glucose-monitoring system of choice, offers a defended Apple Watch app (and a Samsung Galaxy Sentry app and WearOS app, also) that pushes notifications from a user's wireless insulin pump to their wrist via their smartphone. The Dexcom app also shows a user's current glucose levels and general glucose trends at a glance. It fifty-fifty supports custom watch face up complications for the utmost convenience.

"With type 1 diabetes, you might need to know exactly what your glucose is doing at any given point," Dexcom CTO Jake Leach, who oversees the development of next generation glucose monitoring products, said. "The value that continuous glucose monitoring brings is your current glucose level and how it'southward changing so you can make adjustments appropriately."

dexcom apple watch — (Image credit: Jake Greenish)

Which Apple Watch should I become to monitor diabetes?

The commencement question Gillian brought to me is whether there'due south any drawbacks to her getting the Apple Lookout man SE over the Apple tree Watch Series half dozen. The Serial 6 is the all-time smartwatch we've tested and an impressive health tool, merely information technology's outside of her budget. The Series 3 doesn't offer fall detection, which would help if irregular insulin levels caused Gillian to faint. (For a deeper dive, cheque out our Apple Lookout man 6 vs. Apple Lookout SE and Apple Scout SE vs. Apple tree Watch 3 comparisons.)

Compared to the Apple Picket 6, the Apple Watch SE lacks an electrocardiogram reader, blood oxygen monitoring and an e'er-on display. In my feel with the Series 6 and then far, the e'er-on brandish is the existent deal-breaker for an boilerplate user, but it'due south less of a sell for Gillian. In fact, she'd worry nigh the never-nighttime OLED screen on her wrist distracting her students.

Jake Green, another 23-yr-sometime with type 1 diabetes, has owned the Apple tree Watch Serial 4 since Dexcom'southward Apple Watch app debuted two years ago. He has no plans to upgrade to i of the newest smartwatch models despite the availability of new features.

"For what I need, I'm set with the Apple tree Watch 4," Green said. "It'due south not like claret oxygen monitoring is of import in terms of glucose monitoring. Having the Dexcom app on my wrist is what matters."

Should I get an Apple tree Picket with LTE?

Gillian wondered if having an Apple Watch with LTE would mean she could go glucose readings from the pump on her body even when her iPhone is expressionless or out of attain.

Unfortunately, that'southward not the example, as the Dexcom needs to exist linked via Bluetooth to her smartphone. But, for those with diabetes or other health conditions, having an Apple Sentinel with LTE has other benefits. In situations where her phone dies, or worse, is stolen, she's still connected for getting help.

For what it's worth, LTE back up on the Apple Watch SE only costs $l more than the standard $279 entry price. Meanwhile, it costs at least $499 for an Apple Watch Series 6 with Cellular, on summit of the monthly service fee.

What's covered by insurance

Gillian is no stranger to recurring payments, but that doesn't necessarily mean she wants more of them. Luckily, her insurance covers over $6,000 per year in costs of her Dexcom glucose sensors and transmitters, so we looked into whether BlueShield BlueCross would finance an Apple Sentry, too. It won't — instead, information technology has a program for financing a Fitbit every bit it relates to upping daily activity. Unfortunately, Dexcom does non make an app for Fitbits.

Some providers similar Aetna and United do have options for Apple Watch coverage, so I would advise other diabetics in these insurance systems to seek out payment options. You should cheque if your glucose monitoring system has a compatible smartwatch app, too. The One Drop glucose monitoring kit is a adept Dexcom alternative yous could utilise to see your claret glucose data and analytics on your wrist.

Checking out

In addition to checking insurance and system compatibility, you should always check with your doctor before buying a device you intend to use as a health tool, diabetic or not. While the Apple Watch 6 has blood oxygen monitoring and an FDA-approved ECG sensor, the company cautions that the quondam is not intended for medical use.

After consulting with Petti, Gillian fabricated her option. "I decided to get the SE after looking into all the uniform Dexcom options," Gillian said. "When I realized it's such a good price for a new smartwatch, I was sold."

"Likewise," she said, "doesn't the name alone make the Apple tree Watch SE an obvious accessory for my iPhone SE?"

Kate Kozuch is a senior writer at Tom's Guide roofing wearables, TVs and everything smart-home related. When she's not in cyborg mode, you can observe her on an practise bike or channeling her inner celebrity chef. She and her robot army volition rule the earth ane day, but until then, accomplish her at kate.kozuch@futurenet.com.