Live data from Hacker News

Apple Monitoring Blood Glucose

mondaynote.com

71–80 of 142 posts

Re: Apple Monitoring Blood Glucose

#71

I can imagine wearing bracelets for each metric you want to monitor, it'll be a sign of health and wealth and be as popular as those snag bands you kids used to wear in the playground.

You think visible medical equipment is a sign of good health?

It depends on the equipment. There's a spectrum from things like oxygen tanks one on end to fitness trackers on the other end. I think a glucose measuring Apple watch would be clearly on the fitness tracker end of things.

Re: Apple Monitoring Blood Glucose

#72
post #42

> I'm excited to see where it goes. BREAKING NEWS FROM THE FUTURE (Reuters): Hundreds of thousands Apple users die within hours after IoT glucose measurement + insulin pump device overdoses insulin during WannaDie cyberattack. Apple urges all surviving users to update the system immediately. Surviving users and family members of deceased will get 10 year full Apple subscription and special $20,000 memorial gift card…

I am, as the quoted post, excited to see Apple enter the area. Many medical devices would benefit from the medical product redesign and in general more convenient ways to handle well understood medical situations.

However, this also opens up to new dangers, e.g. the easy access to cheap SDR units allows one to try to do serious mischief by jamming / hacking / reprogramming those IoT style units. This should not kill the tech, just something for the users to be aware of.

Re: Apple Monitoring Blood Glucose

#73
post #64
post #59

Apple's recent obsession with health monitoring is weird from a branding standpoint. Losing appeal with young people is the nightmare of any technology company, becoming known as that gadget for geriatrics is another level of dejection. I read that this focus is particularly driven by Tim Cook's fascination with the space. It sort of confirms my idea of him as not a very image conscious CEO, especially in contrast wi…

I don't have any data on hand to back this up, but I don't think younger people are necessarily averse to monitoring their own health. I think personal health monitoring devices fit well with the devices the younger generation already uses to help maintain their identity and concept of self. I agree if it's poorly implemented or marketed it won't be adopted, but Apple probably has a shot at getting it right.

I agree. I've only seen middle aged office workers wear stuff like Fitbit, posture correction, sleep tracking type of things. Young people don't have to worry about 'sitting is new smoking' .

Re: Apple Monitoring Blood Glucose

#74
post #4
post #3

Research labs have been trying this for years with every spectroscopy known to man - the signal is just too weak. I don't see any reason to think Apple has figured something out that labs of optics experts can't do on the benchtop.

I think machine learning coupled with increase in sensitivity of the signals could make a difference.

hahaha. Siri can't even parse "What time does the Indianapolis 500 start?" It gives me movie start times.

Re: Apple Monitoring Blood Glucose

#76

Apple appears to be working on blood glucose monitoring as a way to address Type 2 Diabetes. Either the article is very wrong, or Apple is doing something very cute here. Type 2 diabetics do check their blood glucose -- occasionally. For non-insulin-using diabetics (aka. most type 2s) medical plans typically cover less than one test per day, because the evidence is that testing more frequently doesn't accomplish anyt…

In the US my insurance covers the 4 test strips per day my endocrinologist prescribes for type 2. This was true for the 3 years I was able to use oral medication before switching to insulin.

Re: Apple Monitoring Blood Glucose

#77
post #69
post #59

Apple's recent obsession with health monitoring is weird from a branding standpoint. Losing appeal with young people is the nightmare of any technology company, becoming known as that gadget for geriatrics is another level of dejection. I read that this focus is particularly driven by Tim Cook's fascination with the space. It sort of confirms my idea of him as not a very image conscious CEO, especially in contrast wi…

I don't think you could say for the general young generation. Google, Apple and Samsung have been vie for these feature in 2014. It is not uncommon to focus on health space when the technology is mature, we can't live and worry about our health. What is the point if you have the greatest smartphone watch and still lead unhealthy lifestyle?

Generally speaking, if you're leading an unhealthy lifestyle, buying a new gadget will not change that. I'm sure there's plenty of anecdata to counter this, though.

Re: Apple Monitoring Blood Glucose

#78
post #59

Apple's recent obsession with health monitoring is weird from a branding standpoint. Losing appeal with young people is the nightmare of any technology company, becoming known as that gadget for geriatrics is another level of dejection. I read that this focus is particularly driven by Tim Cook's fascination with the space. It sort of confirms my idea of him as not a very image conscious CEO, especially in contrast wi…

If Apple doesn't make this someone else will.

If Apple doesn't make decent laptops and desktops then who else can?

This is what bothers be about Tim Cooks priorities in health and celebrities next to his apathy towards computers. (I don't consider the iPad a computer I consider it a device)

Re: Apple Monitoring Blood Glucose

#79

This is all well and good, but is it accurate? Don't Theranos us Apple.

That is key. I don't see how. At first I thought maybe a sweat related method? Perhaps some odd electronic field trick no on has tried? Unlike heart rate I doubt a camera and bright light would suffice.

I do know I would buy them for my parents immediately once they are shown to work. Would not even pause. Blood sugar is spooky and you are toast if it goes low and no one is around to help

anecdotal section : My mother has been taking insulin since the 80s, she uses a pump currently. The real danger in blood sugar is when levels get low. She has caught her self in the low 40s but if it had happened at night she would be in real trouble. You just simply go to sleep and never wake from it. High numbers while dangerous are sustainable and your conscious throughout.

She has had a few episodes where it went out of control (600+) that took a hospital visit days to get under control with a drip. Same routine, you go in and tell them your level. They don't believe you. They test three times then freak out. You are in heart ward and even then they cannot get it back and turn from blaming your diet to going "We don't know". The point is, even highly regulated/monitored things happen and doctors don't know all the whys.

Re: Apple Monitoring Blood Glucose

#80
post #42

> I'm excited to see where it goes. BREAKING NEWS FROM THE FUTURE (Reuters): Hundreds of thousands Apple users die within hours after IoT glucose measurement + insulin pump device overdoses insulin during WannaDie cyberattack. Apple urges all surviving users to update the system immediately. Surviving users and family members of deceased will get 10 year full Apple subscription and special $20,000 memorial gift card…

Thank goodness, specialist embedded systems are immune from Malware.

Thank goodness.

Pacemakers and Implantable Cardiac Defibrillators: Software Radio Attacks and Zero-Power Defenses https://spqr.eecs.umich.edu/papers/icd-study.pdf

>Our study analyzes the security and privacy properties of an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Introduced to the U.S. market in 2003, this model of ICD includes pacemaker technology and is designed to communicate wirelessly with a nearby external programmer in the 175 kHz frequency range. After partially reverse-engineering the ICD's communications protocol with an oscilloscope and a software radio, we implemented several software radio-based attacks that could compromise patient safety and patient privacy....

Post reply on HN