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Sweat tech may reshape personal health tracking.
A wave of new research is pushing an unexpected biological fluid into the spotlight.
Scientists say sweat, long overlooked as a diagnostic tool, could soon help people monitor their bodies far more easily than blood tests or clinic visits.
In a recent paper in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, researchers described how advances in artificial intelligence and ultra-thin sensors are bringing this vision closer.
Emerging potential
The team examined evidence suggesting sweat can reveal shifts in hormones, medication levels and early signs of illnesses including diabetes, cancer, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.
Their work outlines how continuous biochemical tracking may become routine.
Co-author Dr Dayanne Bordin, an analytical chemist at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), said in an article on the university’s website, that the appeal is clear.
“Collecting sweat is painless, simple and non-invasive,” she noted, adding that it could complement the data already gathered by everyday wearables.
She pointed to early commercial products such as the Gatorade sweat patch, which links to a smartphone app to gauge sodium loss and hydration patterns.
New sensor wave
According to the study, recent breakthroughs in microfluidics, stretchable electronics and wireless systems have produced a new line of skin-mounted patches capable of sampling sweat around the clock.
When paired with AI, these devices can sift through complicated molecular signatures and flag irregularities that may indicate disease risk.
The authors say such tools could provide personalised health alerts, tailored coaching and earlier medical intervention.
The potential applications extend from sports to chronic care. Athletes could track electrolyte changes or verify they are drug-free, while people with diabetes might eventually monitor glucose without needles.
Inside the lab
Dr Janice McCauley, also from UTS, described sweat as a largely “under-used diagnostic fluid” with the capacity to stream multiple biomarkers at once.
She said the rapid progress of AI in 2023 significantly improved pattern-recognition tools used in health diagnostics.
Researchers now aim to merge these analytical systems with compact, energy-efficient sensors designed for secure data transfer.
Alongside this, UTS teams are mapping normal sweat patterns and creating microfluidic chips capable of detecting tiny quantities of substances such as cortisol and glucose.
Looking ahead
Although many prototypes remain in development, commercial interest is rising. Dr Bordin said a fully integrated wearable may not be far off.
“We’re not far from a future where your wearable can tell you when you’ve got high stress hormone levels, and by monitoring this over time, whether you are at risk of chronic health conditions,” she said.
Sources: Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, UTS researchers.
