Garmin has presented the potential for preventing and managing type 2 diabetes using wearable biometric data. As digital healthcare models combining smartwatches, continuous glucose monitors, and AI analysis technology become more widespread, diabetes management is shifting from post-treatment to daily-based proactive management.

On the 20th, Garmin released the 'Garmin Health Diabetes Insights Report,' which summarizes collaborations pursued for the prevention, management, and research of Type 2 diabetes utilizing data within the Garmin Health ecosystem. This report covered how biometric data collected from wearable devices can be utilized for diabetes management and digital healthcare services.

According to the report, Type 2 diabetes accounts for approximately 95% of diabetes cases worldwide. It was estimated that about 3.4 million people died from diabetes globally in 2024, with related medical costs reaching approximately $1 trillion. The need for diabetes management is also growing in Korea. According to the Korean Diabetes Association's 'Korea Diabetes Fact Sheet 2024,' as of 2022, there are approximately 5.06 million diabetes patients aged 30 or older in Korea, and about 14 million people with pre-diabetes.

Garmin Health explained that wearable data can expand the reach of diabetes management beyond the hospital into daily life. By combining smartwatch-based biometric data—such as heart rate, sleep, and activity levels—with continuous glucose monitoring and AI analysis, users can monitor their health changes more frequently and adjust their lifestyles. This signifies a shift from the traditional approach, which focused on post-treatment management, to one that identifies risk factors early.

Twin Health, an AI digital twin company, was introduced as an example of collaboration. Twin Health operates a metabolic disease management program by integrating Garmin smartwatch data into its platform. A joint clinical study with the Cleveland Clinic in the United States showed that 71% of the patient group participating in the program lowered their HbA1c levels to below the diabetes threshold. The improvement rate for the general control group was 2.4%.

Garmin Health is also continuing its collaborations with European digital healthcare companies. Representative examples include Diabetes2Care (Netherlands), Hello Inside (Austria), On Limit (Denmark), Project Embrace (UK), and Senti-H (Switzerland). Garmin plans to support personalized health management services by linking its wearable data with the clinical platforms of its partners.

Scott Burgett, Senior Director of Health Engineering at Garmin, stated in the report, “Diabetes is one of the greatest public health challenges of the modern era, but evidence is emerging that precision data-driven preventive management can change the course of the disease.”