November, 2025
Millions of people are affected by diabetes. For many people, medication plays a vital role in
managing diabetes, but lifestyle can also be important in how both diabetes and prediabetes are
managed. For example, previous research has shown that being more active and getting better
quality sleep can be important in diabetes and prediabetes management.
Wearable devices offer a reliable way to capture people’s day-to-day routines, avoiding the need
for people to recall their activities.
The study in this month’s Tap into Research looked at how smartwatches were used to track steps
and sleep in 796 participants from the larger Framingham Heart Study.
How were smartwatches used in the study?
Participants who owned an iPhone were given an Apple Watch to record their steps and heart rate.
This data was collected from participants for up to three years. To be included in the study,
participants needed to wear their smartwatch for at least 10 hours per day for 30 days or more.
Participants were asked to wear the watch while awake and take it off before bed. Sleep times
were estimated based on when participants wore the watch. Putting it on in the morning was taken
as their wake-up time, and taking it off at night marked their bedtime. Daily step counts were
used as the measure of physical activity.
What did the study find?
The study included people with diabetes, people with prediabetes, and people without diabetes.
All participants with diabetes were grouped together, whether they had type 1 or type 2
diabetes.
On average, people with diabetes took around 1611 fewer steps per day than those without
diabetes. This was after accounting for age, sex, and ethnicity. Similarly, people with
prediabetes took about 392 fewer steps per day than those without diabetes.
On average, people with diabetes took around 1611 fewer steps per day than those without
diabetes. This was after accounting for age, sex, and ethnicity. Similarly, people with
prediabetes took about 392 fewer steps per day than those without diabetes.
Why does this matter?
Understanding daily routines in people living with diabetes could help identify lifestyle
factors that support better self-management. This could include advice on how to achieve a more
consistent sleep schedule or how to increase physical activity levels.
It’s worth noting that these findings come from one study, so more research is needed to confirm
them. Still, the results highlight how wearable devices can offer new insights into how everyday
routines, like sleep and how we move, relate to health.