Fitbit, Dexcom form diabetes health partnership
Together, the companies say they hope to help people with diabetes get a more complete picture of their overall health with easy-to-use mobile tools. The first planned step is to make Dexcom continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) data available on Fitbit’s new smartwatch, the Fitbit Ionic.
“The strength of our brand and our ability to track critical health metrics continuously for up to 4-plus days, coupled with Dexcom’s market leadership in CGM, present a powerful combination that we hope will help millions of people better manage their diabetes,” says James Park, CEO of Fitbit. “With Ionic, we are focused on driving positive health outcomes and more health-focused tools, and this collaboration is a wonderful example of how we plan to bring that vision to our users.”
According to the World Health Organization, over 400 million people globally are currently living with diabetes. Continuous glucose monitoring allows those with diabetes to track their blood glucose levels in real time, continuously throughout the day and night, and to be notified when glucose levels are reached that require action.
“The collaboration between Dexcom and Fitbit is an important step in providing useful information to people with diabetes that is both convenient and discreet,” says Kevin Sayer, President and CEO, Dexcom. “We believe that providing Dexcom CGM data on Fitbit Ionic, and making that experience available to users of both Android and iOS devices, will have a positive impact on the way people manage their diabetes.”
The Fitbit Ionic, which was just introduced in August, is offered as a “health and fitness first platform.” In addition to standard fitness/smartwatch features, the Ionic has an SpO2 sensor for estimating blood oxygen levels and improved heart rate tracking during exercise.
With the new partnership, Dexcom CGM users will now be able to connect with millions of other people, where they can ask questions and share experiences in managing their health. The companies are targeting availability “as soon as possible in 2018,” and plan to explore opportunities to work together to develop other diabetes management tools and resources in the future.
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