Oura Ring unveils major feature update for users

Oura and Dexcom are integrating continuous glucose monitoring with smart ring technology, creating a comprehensive health tracking system that helps users understand the connections between sleep, activity, and metabolism. This collaboration represents a significant advancement in consumer health tech by providing personalized insights into how lifestyle factors affect glucose levels, making metabolic health monitoring more accessible and informative for everyday users.

The big picture: Oura’s new integration with Dexcom’s Stelo continuous glucose monitor allows users to view glucose data directly in the Oura app, creating a more complete health monitoring ecosystem.

• Users can now see how their sleep, activity, and diet directly impact their glucose levels, all within a single platform.
• The integration classifies glucose ranges as optimal, suboptimal, or poor rather than providing a numerical score, simplifying interpretation for users.

Key features: Alongside glucose monitoring, Oura is releasing its AI-powered Meals feature to all members after previously limiting it to Oura Labs participants.

• The Meals feature uses AI to identify nutrients from food photos and provides insights into how specific foods affect energy levels and glucose responses.
• A Nutrition Breakdown component categorizes logged foods by protein, fiber, carbs, and fats while also accounting for added sugar and processing levels.

What they’re saying: “Our bodies all process food in different ways, which is why we’re leveraging a unique combination of Ōura’s extensive biometric tracking, generative AI, and Stelo glucose data to address a critical need for more individualized and accessible metabolic health solutions,” said Holly Shelton, Oura’s chief product officer.

Different approach: Unlike traditional calorie-counting apps, Oura’s Meals feature focuses on understanding food’s impact on overall health and energy.

• “We’re taking a different approach here, which is really thinking about how we can help people understand the architecture of their behaviors around food,” Maziar Brumand, Oura’s vice president of product, explained to ZDNET.

Availability details: The Meals and Glucose features are available on Android and iOS devices in the US, with the Stelo CGM available for purchase directly through Oura.

• The Stelo system costs $99 and includes two sensors, each lasting 15 days.
• The CGM is available to non-insulin users who are 18 years of age or older.