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Smartwatch data can be used to assess early diabetes risk

Catching insulin resistance earlier could enable more interventions before diabetes develops

A close-up image of a wrist wearing a Fitbit device

Data recorded by smartwatches may contain subtle signals of early metabolic dysfunction.

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By Elie Dolgin

The data your smartwatch already collects could soon help flag an early warning sign for type 2 diabetes.

Hidden in the patterns of heart rate, sleep and daily activity captured by everyday wearables are subtle clues that, when combined with routine health data and analyzed with artificial intelligence, can reveal insulin resistance, researchers report March 16 in Nature.