Google's Wearable Study, Abbott's FDA Wins and Apple/Samsung Latest
Our weekly round up of essential news, stories and insights
Welcome back to PULSE by Wareable, and another busy week for our news round-up.
We’ve got a top mix of important stories this week, from ground-breaking new research into how wearables could transform health outcomes, to breakthroughs in biowearables.
We also talk about the consumer side of the coin, as we look forward to a busy summer of new wearables from Samsung and Apple.
As ever, I want to welcome our flurry of new subscribers from industry stalwarts Canalys, Jack Taylor PR, and Ultrahuman among a host of start-ups.
That’s a neat segue into promoting a forthcoming feature where we’re looking to highlight some of the amazing startups that subscribe to PULSE. If you’re a premium subscriber from a startup, drop us a line at admin@wareable.com or DM via Substack and we’ll big you up.
Google Health Paper Backs Wearable Tech Interventions for Health
A new paper from Google Health has looked into the long-term impact of using Fitbits to promote increased activity levels on chronic disease levels and healthcare costs.
The study modeled the effect of people using and wearing Fitbit-like devices, and how increased activity levels could affect outcomes. And the findings were…eye-opening.
“The Fitbit intervention was estimated to save approximately $6.5 million over 2 years and $8.5 million over 5 years for a cohort of 8,000 participants,” read the report. It shows what a massive impact increased activity and improved lifestyle factors could have.
You need to go and read the full report – which has not yet been peer-reviewed and makes several helpful assumptions in the modeling.
But it’s an interesting piece of research around how wearables could impact our lives and societal issues – and it concludes more research is needed.
It could spark questions about whether governments and health insurance providers should do more to incentivize the use of wearables.
The paper is available on medRxiv for a detailed look.
Abbott Lingo Gets US Clearance – and Launches Rio CGM
Abbott has received FDA approval for the launch of Lingo, its blood glucose tracking service, in the US.
It also got the FDA nod for the new Libre Rio, its over-the-counter continuous glucose monitor (CGM).
Lingo has been available in the UK for about a year but it required regulatory approval in Abbott’s native US.
Abbott CGMs power a vast array of metabolic health programs, such as Zoe, Levels, Nutrisense, and January – so it’s natural that as a leader in the space, it would bring its solution to the party.
There has been a shift towards recognizing the benefits of CGMs for healthy people, who can use the data to lose weight and stabilize blood sugar levels, leading to improved energy and health.
The company’s FreeStyle Libre CGM has been transformative for sufferers of type 1 diabetes, who require up-to-the-second measurement of their blood sugar levels. But that’s usually supplied via insurance companies.
However, the Libre Rio is designed to be sold over the counter, reducing the cost of entry for type 2 diabetics and non-diabetics using Lingo.
The announcement of Rio comes after the Dexcom Stelo, which is also over-the-counter. Stelo is similar to Lingo, but specifically aimed at type 2 diabetics trying to manage their symptoms, rather than healthy people looking for an energy boost.
We interviewed Dexcom CEO Jake Leach at CES 2024 about Stelo.
Bayer and Samsung Team Up for Menopause Sleep Study
German biotech company Bayer is to partner with Samsung to study the effect of menopause on sleep patterns.
The research will utilize Samsung's Galaxy Watch to collect data on sleep quality, heart rate, and other health metrics from women experiencing menopause.
The goal is to gather comprehensive insights that can help develop better treatments and management strategies for sleep disturbances commonly faced during menopause.
“By joining forces with Samsung and women using their devices, we strive to expand treatment options to support women at all stages of life,” said Juergen Eckhardt, head of business development and licensing at Bayer’s pharma division.
“With one of the world’s largest pools of biomarker data collected with wearable devices, Samsung is a perfect partner to further enhance the knowledge base in women’s health with real-world evidence,” he added.
Bayer is looking at several treatments that could improve menopausal conditions including hot flashes.
So wearables could play a big part in speeding up this much-neglected area of women’s health.
Apple Watch 10 Could Be Bigger – and Less Unisex
The Apple Watch Series 10 could supersize its case to 45mm and 49mm, a huge increase from the current Series 9 – according to a new report.
That’s the word from renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who outlined a series of rumors on Medium, saying that the new Series 10 could also be thinner.
The Apple Watch has always come in two sizes, but it has grown over the years. The original Series 0 came in 38/42mm. It’s undergone a couple of size increases, most recently up to 41/45mm for the Series 7.
I know many female friends who own the 41mm Series 9. So a jump to 45mm could reduce its appeal for women.
The updated smartwatch is expected to land in September, which is when Apple traditionally launches its new wearables lineup. But there’s no word in Kuo’s report of the device being named Apple Watch X, in honor of its 10th edition.
Kuo also alleged that Apple may start using 3D-printed technology in the smartwatch.
Samsung Galaxy Smartwatch Details Drop
More big product news. Mark your calendars for July 10, as that’s the date Samsung’s new devices are expected to be revealed to the world – according to a report in 91Mobiles.
The standard Galaxy Watch 7 will allegedly start at around $299, and be available in Marble Grey, Cream White, and Forest Green.
The all-new Ultra model will reportedly cost $699, featuring a Titanium Grey option. This Ultra variant aims to compete with the Apple Watch Ultra, boasting a larger battery life and higher price.
You can read the latest leaks about the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and the forthcoming Galaxy Ring on Wareable.
Challenges of Women’s Health Laid Bare
A huge State of Women’s Health Report lays bare the challenges faced in women’s health.
The report is available to read, but a key statistic is that only 4% of health tech funding goes to projects designed solely for women and girls.
The report goes on to describe women’s health as “underfunded, under-researched, and misunderstood.”
The report also highlights a host of women’s health startups that are bucking the trend, so we thought we’d give them a shoutout here:
OsteoBoost by Bone Health Technologies
OsteoBoost is an FDA-approved wearable device designed to counteract bone density loss in postmenopausal women. It provides gentle mechanical stimulation to enhance bone strength in the hips and spine.
BrainCheck
Given that women have a higher lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease compared to men, tools like BrainCheck are crucial for early detection and management. The BrainCheck platform provides comprehensive cognitive care through early assessment, function tracking, and care coordination. It includes a 3-minute screening tool with 92% sensitivity and 74% specificity for detecting cognitive impairment.
Mymee
Mymee leverages self-tracked data to reduce autoimmune disease flares and enhance disease management. This approach is particularly beneficial for women, who are more likely than men to be diagnosed with autoimmune diseases.