A new app called iBGStar is the first Canadian iPhone app to monitor blood glucose levels.
Thanks to a new app on the market, Canadians can now use their iPhones and iPods to do quick checks on blood sugar levels and manage diabetes.
Launched in March by health-care company Sanofi, the iBGStar meter is the first blood glucose monitor of its kind in Canada.
The small, compact device was designed for users to take a sample of blood at any time and read the results in just five seconds on the screen of an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch.
Consumers simply attach the monitor to their iPhone or iPod Touch and download the free iBGStar Diabetes Manager App [1] .
Then the iBGStar will tell the user to put a drop of blood on a glucose strip and insert it into a port on the device itself. The machine's software carries out an analysis and flashes the results onto the screen of the iPhone or iPod Touch.
"It's really exciting to have the new iBGStar," said Cynthia Lebovics, Sanofi's National Diabetes Education Manager.
"People with diabetes do have to monitor their blood glucose. But sometimes you forget your meter at home or don't have somewhere to put it," Lebovics said on March 29 in an interview with CTV's Canada AM.
Today, more than nine million Canadians are living with diabetes or prediabetes according to the Canadian Diabetes Association.
Most have used traditional blood-testing devices, which are generally palm-sized.
By contrast, the iBGStar monitor is no bigger than a stick of gum.
This new process isn't entirely perfect, however.
Skin must still be pricked to draw blood, although a tiny amount is required with this new technology, said Lebovics.
As well, the iPhone or iPod touch that is used must have Apple's iOS 3.0 mobile operating system or higher software installed to use the iBGStar meter.
This new tool won't eliminate the need for all diabetics to test their blood sugar levels on a regular basis. But the diminutive size is an advantage, as is the fact that most Canadians today now own cell phones.
Consumers can use the iBGStar Diabetes Manager App [2] to store and track blood sugar levels, carbohydrate intake and insulin dosages while they are on the go.
Several icons allow users to monitor trends in their blood sugar levels throughout the day.
For example, if a person wakes and finds their blood glucose readings to be high for several days, the app can track the numbers and compare them to future readings.
All averages and deviations are displayed in easy-to-read charts. There are also separate screens for a trend chart, logbook and statistics.
Yet even those who don't own an iPhone or iPod Touch can still benefit from this new blood testing technology.
"The iBGStar will work on its own, so you can store data in it," said Lebovics.
The device, priced at $64.99 in Canada, can hold 300 readings in total as a stand-alone meter. Once the readings exceed that figure, the app will delete entries from the beginning of the readings to make more room.
When used with an iPhone or an iPod Touch, the iBGStar will use as much capacity as these devices have once it is plugged in.
"Managing diabetes isn't only about the tool. It's really a whole comprehensive approach," said Lebovics.
If left untreated or improperly managed, diabetes can lead to serious complications, including damage to the eyes, nerves, heart and kidneys. It can also result in impotence in men.
To help Canadians, Sanofi has also created the STARsystem, an online health monitoring system designed as a support to the iBGStar meter.
Consumers can log on with an iBGStar meter serial number and get access to articles on managing diabetes, personalized self-management tools and six months of personal health coaching from a team of experts.
The iBGStar monitoring device is available in selected pharmacies and can be purchased on the Sanofi website. For more information visit Sanofi [3] .
Links
- ^ iBGStar Diabetes Manager App (itunes.apple.com)
- ^ iBGStar Diabetes Manager App (itunes.apple.com)
- ^ Sanofi (starsystem.sanofi.ca)
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