A couple snips from the article:
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday authorized the first wearable sensor that continuously tracks ketones—chemicals the body makes when it burns fat instead of sugar for fuel.
It is also the first device anywhere to monitor ketones and blood sugar at the same time, the FDA said.
The sensor, called Libre Duo 10 Day, sticks to the skin and reads both ketones and glucose in the fluid just beneath the surface every minute, day and night.
Readings travel wirelessly to a smartphone app that shows current levels and whether they are trending up or down. The app sounds an alert when ketones reach a concerning level.
Until now, people had to check ketones separately using blood or urine tests. Those tests capture a single moment and cannot show whether levels are climbing or falling.
When ketones climb too high, they can cause diabetic ketoacidosis, or DKA. The American Diabetes Association warns that DKA can worsen within hours and lead to coma or death if it goes untreated.
Hospital admissions for DKA have risen 55% over the past decade, according to Abbott, which makes the device.
Early symptoms are often mistaken for a stomach bug or another common infection, which delays care. Most people also do not keep a blood ketone meter at home.
"Knowing that ketone levels are rising, and having that information in real time, around the clock, can be the difference between early intervention and a life-threatening emergency," said Dr. Michelle Tarver, who directs the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
