Diabetes Apps

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Diabetes Apps

Nearly 70 percent of Americans own a smartphone, and for individuals with diabetes, these devices — specifically phone apps — have become an integral part of their everyday lives because they house tools to help stay on a healthy diabetic track.

“We usually see patients quarterly for appointments, which means the other 361 days of the year, they’re on their own,” says endocrinologist Amber Champion, MD, at Great Plains Health in North Platte, Nebraska. “They need to have the knowledge and tools to take care of themselves. Diabetes-related apps can be useful to help keep track of all the data and see it visually. They can also help educate and teach patients to spot trends and keep their data organized.”

When it comes to apps, which ones are the best to help you get started and manage your diabetes self-care? Here is a list of apps to consider.

Diabetes management apps

MySugrmySugr App

This app, named one of the top diabetes apps by Healthline from 2015 to 2017, offers two options: basic and pro. The basic app function is designed to help manage blood glucose patterns for individuals with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. There is a section to enter data regarding diet, medications, and blood glucose levels. The upgraded pro version provides features like blood glucose reminders, multi-device syncing, basal rates for pump usersm and priority support. MySugr coaching is one of the newest features by which users can receive personalized advice from certified diabetes educators.

Extra Features Available: There is also a mySugr bundle program for $39.99 per month that provides users with an AccuCheck Guide glucometer with Bluetooth technology, which automatically integrates with the mySugr app test strips and the mySugr coach feature.

Devices: Compatible with iOS devices

DiabetesMDiabetes:M

An award-winning diabetes logbook app, Diabetes:M allows users to enter glucose readings, insulin injections, and carbohydrates consumed at meals. There is a bolus calculator as well as a food database for looking up and tracking various foods. Detailed graphs, analytical charts, and the ability to generate reports to share with health-care providers are some of the additional features.

Extra Features Available: Premium subscription features provide synchronization from multiple devices. Diabetes:M can analyze data imported from various glucometers and insulin pumps.

Devices: Compatible with iOS devices and Android

MyTherapyMyTherapy App

This is a personal medication tracker. Never forget a dose again! This app allows users to setup personal alerts for medications, as well as track other health components like weight and blood pressure. Family sharing is available for this app, if extra support is needed.

Devices: Compatible with iOS devices

GlucoseBuddyGlucose Buddy Diabetes Tracker

A top-rated diabetes app, Glucose Buddy allows users to track trends in blood glucose, medication, weight, blood pressure, and A1C. Data can be exported to create easy-to-read and printable reports to share with health care providers. This app integrates with the Apple Health App.

Extra Features Available: A premium subscription provides additional features like an A1C calculator, advanced graphs for viewing trends, and custom tags for logging data.

Devices: Compatible with iOS and Android devices

OneDrop

One Drop Diabetes Management

This app syncs with popular glucometers and insulin pumps and can track patterns in blood glucose, food, medication, and physical activity. Users are able to set up and schedule daily reminders for medication and blood glucose monitoring.

Extra Features Available: The One Drop Chrome glucometer is a Bluetooth technology meter that automatically integrates with the One Drop App. Users can select plans that provide 50, 100 or unlimited test strips each month from $19.95–$44.95/month.

Devices: Compatible with iOS and Android devices


Healthy eating and meal-planning apps

Figwee Portion Explorer

Figwee provides users with a visual representation of portions of various food items with corresponding nutrition data. It allows users to manually adjust the portions to larger or smaller, which provides insight on how portion size impacts the nutritional composition of the food.

Devices: Compatible with iOS devices

SimpleFeast

Simple Feast

This app provides seasonal recipes customized to your own personal weight-loss and athletic performance goals. Create grocery shopping lists based on the recipes you’ve selected for the week or watch culinary videos to improve your skills in the kitchen.

Extra Features Available: Premium upgrade provides the Nutrition Coach feature that selects recipes to best support your goals based on information you provide in a profile.

Devices: Compatible with iOS devices

MyNetDiary Pro

If you need to understand the nutrient composition of your food and keep track of your choices, this app does double-duty, providing both nutrition data and meal-planning guidance. It also syncs with fitness trackers and makes suggestions for additional activities and exercises.

Extra Features Available: Some features of the app are subscription options only, available via a monthly or annual payment feature.

Devices: Compatible with iOS devices and Android

MyFitnessPal

Myfitness pal

This app is still one of the most popular free calorie counter, nutrition, and exercise journals available. Individuals who need to learn to count carbohydrates will likely be able to find what they are looking for in the database of over 294,474,000 foods.

Devices: Compatible with iOS and Android devices


Physical activity apps

Couch to 5K

Couch to 5K

This app provides the training plan to help beginner runners train for their first 5K. The plan is set up for a nine-week plan that gets you moving toward meeting your goals. Features track both pace and distance and provide a virtual coach to keep you motivated throughout the training process.

Devices: Compatible with iOS devices

Sworkit

Sworkit

This app provides workout plans for every fitness level and any schedule, with some workouts as short as five minutes.

Devices: Compatible with iOS devices and Android devices


Physical activity trackers integrated with diabetes technology

Other technology devices, like physical activity trackers, are being integrated with some continuous glucose monitor (CGM) systems to help demonstrate how activity impacts blood glucose levels. In the fall of 2017, Fitbit partnered with Dexcom to bring CGM data to Fitbit Ionic. Some health-care programs, like UHC Medicare Advantage plans, are even providing piloting programs in which participants who use CGM technology, like Dexcom, are receiving Fitbit activity trackers.

Devices: Compatible with iOS devices

With so many technologies in the marketplace, selecting the right app can be overwhelming. Remember that apps are tools designed to create accountability, track data and help users discover patterns and change behaviors. Trying several apps allows you to experiment with features to find the best fit for your lifestyle and needs. Focus on using app technologies that ease the burden of diabetes management instead of complicating it.

Want to learn more about diabetes and technology? Read “Eight Life-Changing Diabetes Breakthroughs” and “Fitness Apps.”

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