Mobile apps improve control for those with type 2 diabetes

Tracking your steps isn’t the only thing mobile applications are able to monitor. Researchers in the U.K. studied the effects of mobile apps in helping people with diabetes. Turns out, the technology may be a valuable option in helping track glucose levels.

Researchers, led by Ben Carter from Cardiff University's School of Medicine, set out to discover the impact the apps have on patients' self-management of diabetes.

"With the number of patients globally with diabetes expected to rise to over 500m by 2030, there is an urgent need for better self-management tools,” said Carter. "As we enter an era where portable technology is increasingly used to improve our lifestyles, as can already be seen with physical activity technology, apps can offer a large percentage of the world's population a low cost and dynamic solution to type 2 diabetes management."

Researchers analyzed data from 14 studies that included 1,360 participants on the effects the mobile apps had on the control of blood sugar levels. The use of mobile applications showed an average reduction in blood sugar levels by 0.49 percent. The studies also found participants of a younger age were more likely to use mobile apps. The positive effects also increased when paired with physician feedback.

The team agreed that the technology needs to be standardized, while policies for improving self-management care are developed. But the potential to improve care is evident.

"By the end of the decade it is predicted that global usage of mobile phones will exceed five billion, so apps, used in combination with other self-management strategies, could form the basis of diabetes education and self-management,” Carter said.