Diabetes can be a dreaded disease, if it is not kept in check. This HealthHearty article lists some of the best apps for your smartphone, which can help keep track of your blood sugar levels.
Bitter-sweet facts!
According to a WHO report (March 2013), about 347 million people worldwide have diabetes.
A study conducted by the World Health Organization in the year 2004, revealed that an estimated 3.4 million people died as a cause of high fasting blood sugar. The study also goes on to state that by the year 2030, diabetes will be the 7th major cause of death in the world. While these statistics definitely are a cause of worry for most, not all hope is lost.
One of the major factors that contribute to type 2 diabetes is poor lifestyle habits. In our fast-paced lives, we are subjecting ourselves to some very harmful habits like, eating improper and unhealthy food, lack of exercise, irregular sleeping patterns, etc. These, in ways big and small, contribute to various health disorders, including type 2 diabetes. By making some simple lifestyle changes like, a timely balanced diet, proper exercise, and adequate sleep, we can delay, if not prevent diabetes altogether.
If however, you are among the 347 million people having diabetes, there is no reason to despair. You always have a choice, that of letting the disease control your life, or keeping the disease in check. If you do wisely opt for the latter, adopting a disciplined style of living, and proper medication can definitely help you live a healthy life. Something that can truly help you regain control of your life, and complement this lifestyle is your companion in sickness and in health, quite literally so – your smartphone.
The ‘Smart’ Way to Track Diabetes
Smartphones these days are becoming increasingly user-friendly, thanks mainly to their simple interface, and above all, the seemingly infinite number of applications available for them. App developers have really taken a liking to health-related apps; diabetes being one of the most common diseases ailing people today, there are some very useful apps available that can easily help you keep track of your blood sugar levels. Here’s a look at some of the most popular apps available for Anroid, and iOS devices –
Android
OnTrack Diabetes
One of the most popular Androids apps for tracking blood sugar levels,OnTrack Diabetes is also one of the simplest apps available on Google Play. It sports a very minimalistic design, and lets you save multiple entries at once. The app creates a detailed log book with tables and graphics which help keep track of your blood sugar levels, medication, and activities over time.
Glucose Buddy : Diabetes Log
Glucose Buddy : Diabetes Log, as the name suggests, is a rather simple log book of your blood sugar levels. It also helps users track their carbohydrates, medication, activities, hemoglobin A1c, blood pressure, and weight. The app sports a grid style menu, which makes navigating through it really simple.
Diabetes
The progress chart on this app is probably one of its key USPs. The graph is easy to understand, and is interactive. It can also maintain individual logs for multiple users. Besides the option to export the data in CSV, and XML formats, you can also choose to share your data with anyone in just under 5 seconds.
SiDiary Diabetes Management
What makes SiDiary Diabetes Management stand out from other apps in Google Play is the fact that it lets you effortlessly synchronize your glucose level logs from your smartphone, with that stored on your computer. Scheduled synchronization can be enabled. You can also choose to save your data online on SiDiary Online. The data can be viewed using different kinds of graphs.
iOS
Glooko Logbook
Glooko Logbook allows you to hook in your gluco-meter (17 FDA approved meters in the USA, and 19 worldwide) with your iPhone. The app downloads the readings from the meter, and you then have the option to share, and analyze the data online. The app provides you with detailed graphs to help track your blood glucose, carb intake, and insulin dosage according to the time of the day or over a span of time.
iBGStar Diabetes Manager
iBGStar Diabetes Manager is a complete diabetes tracking system, with its own glucometer and app. The great thing about this system is the fact that it is compatible with iPod Touch (2 and upwards) as well. The app syncs with the iBGStar meter and creates a detailed log of your blood sugar levels over time. The logs can also be viewed using trend charts, or as statistics.
Glucose Buddy – Free
The free version of Glucose Buddy, is a very basic and minimalistic app. It features the standard logbook and graphs to track the blood sugar levels, on-line support to help monitor your progress, and the option to sync multiple devices with the app.
These apps can go a long way in helping you live a healthy life, without diabetes weighing you down. Cheers.