New app keeps diabetes monitoring close at hand

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> 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.

>> 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 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 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.

>> CTVNews.ca Staff

>> Posted at 2012/04/01 07:44:00

>>

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