Using wearables and a phone app to find early signs of prediabetes

GLOW UP: A Single-Center Observational Study Developing Digital Biomarkers for Prediabetes Screening and Lifestyle Phenotyping

This project will try to see if data from wearable devices and a meal‑logging smartphone app can distinguish adults 45+ with BMI ≥25 who have prediabetes from those with normal blood sugar.

Quick facts

• Study type: Observational
• Enrollment: 200 (estimated)
• Ages: 45 Years and up
• Sex: All
• Sponsor: University of St.Gallen (Academic / other)
• Locations: 1 site (Sankt Gallen)
• Trial ID: NCT07373418 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this trial studies

The GLOW UP project is a single-center, prospective observational case-control study in St. Gallen, Switzerland enrolling 200 adults aged 45 and older with BMI ≥25, including 100 with prediabetes and 100 normoglycemic controls. Participants will wear consumer wearable devices and use a smartphone app with image-based meal logging for about four weeks while clinical blood tests classify glycemic status. Researchers will analyze lifestyle and glycemic patterns, including between- and within-person variability, to identify personalized predictors of early metabolic dysregulation and will test how reminder messages affect meal logging adherence. The study emphasizes real-world data from wearables and apps to explore noninvasive signals linked to diabetes risk.

Who should consider this trial

Good fit: Ideal candidates are German-speaking Swiss residents aged 45 or older with BMI ≥25, no known diabetes, regular access to and ability to use a smartphone, and able to walk independently.

Not a fit: People with diagnosed diabetes, major cardiovascular or kidney disease, pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, those with skin conditions preventing wearable use, or those without a compatible smartphone or living outside the St. Gallen area are unlikely to benefit.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could enable earlier, easier detection of metabolic changes using everyday wearables and apps so people can take steps to lower their diabetes risk.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown wearables can capture activity and sleep patterns related to glucose, but using image-based meal logging and personalized wearable signatures to detect prediabetes is relatively novel.

Eligibility criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

* Citizens or residents of Switzerland who are German-speaking (main place of living or employment in Switzerland).
* Age ≥45 years.
* BMI ≥25 kg/m² (overweight or obese).
* Regular access to a smartphone (iOS or Android) with a data plan.
* Able to use smartphone applications.
* Able to walk independently.

Exclusion Criteria:

* History of stroke, heart disease, renal failure, cancer, or diabetes (type 1 or type 2).
* Past vascular bypass surgery or angioplasty.
* Current or planned use of glucose-lowering medications during the upcoming 4 weeks (e.g., GLP-1 receptor agonists, metformin).
* Pregnant or breastfeeding.
* Relevant skin conditions at wearable placement sites (e.g., upper arm).
* BMI \<25 kg/m² confirmed at enrollment.
* FPG ≥7.0 mmol/L and/or HbA1c ≥6.5% (newly identified type 2 diabetes); Individuals who meet type-2 diabetes criteria at enrollment, based on Swiss/ADA diagnostic criteria will be informed of blood test results and referred to a GP. These individuals will be deemed ineligible and excluded from the study.

Where this trial is running

Sankt Gallen

• HOCH Health and School of Medicine, University of St. Gallen — Sankt Gallen, Switzerland (Recruiting)

Study contacts

• Study coordinator: Mia Jovanova, Dr.

Conditions Prevention