If you’ve got diabetes, believe it or not, there’s an app for that. For the first time, a new device will allow people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to check their blood sugar levels using their iPhone.
The device is called the iBGStar, and it’s manufactured by the French pharmaceutical company Sanofi. The gadget works in the same way as a traditional blood glucose monitor, but it’s only one-inch wide and attaches to the bottom of an Apple iPhone or iPod touch. Built-in software evaluates diabetes data and flashes results instantly onto the IBGStar’s screen.
The iBGStar includes a free diabetes manager app that stores, tracks and analyzes medical data, with input options for carbohydrate intake, insulin injection times and exercise routines. The app sends alerts when blood sugar readings are either too low or too high. In addition, the app offers an email function so users can instantly share their info with health care providers.
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Health experts hope the combination of convenience and technology will help those with diabetes better follow fluctuations in their glucose levels. (Research shows that awareness of glucose levels is vital to reducing the long-term effects of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.)
“With this machine, patients can pinpoint moments in time where they’ve not been eating as well or eating as regularly, and I think that’s what is going to join the dots,” said Angela Chambers, a representative for Boots Pharmacy, the company that is helping launch the device in the United Kingdom. “People are going to see the connection and say, ‘Right, I’m going to do something different.’”
The iBGStar costs about $75 and is available in the United States both in stores and online at Walgreens and Diabetic Care Services Pharmacies. (The device doesn’t require a prescription.)
The iBGStar is compatible with iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4 and 4S models, as well as iPod touch 2, 3 and 4. The device can also be fitted to the iPhone 5 and new touch models with a 30-pin adapter, but it’s not recommended for use with non-Apple products.
