A simple wrist-worn activity tracker may help improve physical activity and lower blood pressure in adults with type 2 diabetes. A pilot randomized controlled trial published in Diabetology investigated the effects of wrist-worn activity trackers on physical activity and cardiovascular outcomes in adults with type 2 diabetes (T2D). The study enrolled 8 participants (mean age 54.9 ± 12.6 years), assigning five to the intervention group and three to the control group. Both groups tracked activity with a wrist-worn activity tracker app over four weeks, but only the intervention group received an activity tracker.

The intervention group showed significant increases in walking distance and energy expenditure, along with reductions in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure, and mean arterial pressure (all p < 0.04). Subendocardial viability ratio trended toward improvement (p = 0.07). No significant changes were observed in the control group. Increased physical activity strongly correlated with reductions in pulse pressure and fasting glucose.

The findings demonstrate that brief wearable-based interventions can improve physical activity and cardiovascular markers in adults with T2D, highlighting the feasibility of integrating wearable technology into diabetes care.