On the official Google Blog, the technology giant announced its new project – a contact lens that can manage and fight diabetes.  The project considers how to study glucose levels in tears.  To do so, Google is now testing a smart contact lens that’s built to measure glucose levels in tears using a tiny wireless chip and miniaturized glucose sensor that are embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material.  Prototypes are being tested that could generate one reading per second and offering a method for an early warning.  For example, an LED light could turn on, indicating that certain glucose levels have been crossed.

Google states, “there’s still a lot more work to do to turn this technology into a system that people can use.”  To accomplish their goals, Google is seeking partners in developing and bringing these products to market.  Additionally, Google has already begun discussions with the U.S. Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), the agency that would have to approve selling a product like this because it is likely considered a medical device.

According to the Christian Science Monitor, this move, though likely years away from hitting the market, could mean a far more comfortable and accurate blood-sugar monitoring method for people with diabetes.  For most people currently managing diabetes, it is a time consuming process that some liken to having a part-time job.  Glucose levels change frequently with normal activity like exercising or eating or even sweating. Sudden spikes or precipitous drops are dangerous and not uncommon, requiring round-the-clock monitoring.

The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) released the sixth edition of the Diabetes Atlas in November 2013 in recognition of International Diabetes Day.  According to the IDF president, the evidence published in the Atlas demonstrates that millions of people are being swept up by the diabetes pandemic.  Today, there are 382 million people living with diabetes. This number is set to rise to 592 million by 2035.  The full magnitude of the problem may not be accurately captured.  An estimated 175 people with diabetes remain undiagnosed.  A further 316 million with impaired glucose tolerance are at a high risk for developing the disease.  The number of those at a high risk is set to reach 471 million by 2035.

In an analysis of the Atlas and extraction of U.S. data, CBS News reports that the IDF estimates that 9.2 percent of the population will have a form of diabetes by the end of this year. That equals about 24.4 million people who will have it by the end of 2013.  Of these, 6.8 million of whom will go undiagnosed.  About 192,725 Americans will die from the disease this year.