Apple reportedly tests a blood sugar app

Indicating a significant competitive threat to the likes of DexCom (DXCM) and Abbott (ABT), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) tested an app this year to help people with prediabetes manage their food intake and make other lifestyle modifications, Bloomberg News reported Friday.

The tech giant conducted the test early this year as part of the company’s efforts to make inroads into blood-sugar features, according to people with knowledge of the matter.

Several Apple (AAPL) employees who were confirmed to have prediabetes, also known as borderline diabetes, reportedly took part in the test.

While the Cupertino, California-based firm has no plans to launch the app, the technology is expected to be available in its upcoming health products, including a noninvasive glucose monitor that has been undergoing studies for over a decade.

Last year, shares of DexCom (DXCM) and Abbott Laboratories (ABT), the leading developers of continuous glucose monitors (CGM), came under pressure amid reports that Apple (AAPL) has made significant headway in a project to develop its own CGM.

In addition to DexCom (DXCM) and Abbott (ABT), Medtronic (MDT) and Senseonics Holdings (SENS) also operate in the CGM market.