YOU can tell a lot about someone from their sweat - and not just whether they're hot or nervous.
The salty secretion contains a goldmine of biological information that, with the help of artificial intelligence and next-generation sensors, could transform how we monitor our health and wellbeing, experts from the University of Technology Sydney have proposed.
Recent research suggested it could be used to monitor hormones and other biomarkers, medication doses, and early detection of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.
"Collecting sweat is painless, simple and non-invasive," said analytical chemist Dr Dayanne Bordin, adding that it is an attractive alternative to blood or urine, especially for continuous monitoring in real-time.
Advances in microfluidics, stretchable electronics and wireless communications have led to a new generation of wearable sensors in the form of thin, flexible patches.
Combined with artificial intelligence, these devices could detect specific metabolites and interpret complex biochemical patterns, offering users personalised health insights and early warning for a range of diseases, the researchers said.
While much of the research remains at the prototype stage, commercial interest is growing, with wearables that can monitor stress levels reportedly not far off.
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