3 ways AI can help you stay on track when it comes to managing diabetes

Lack of timely medical intervention and lifestyle changes can be fatal for diabetes patients.

According to a WHO (World Health Organization) report, over 400 million people have diabetes but as many as 46% remain completely undiagnosed and untreated.

AI tools can be pretty handy for checking the progression of diabetes. Many doctors and healthcare experts are now making use of AI tools to detect diabetes in its early stages and keep a track of its growth. Diabetes is a disease that while not an immediate death sentence can prove to be fatal if not kept in check and continuously monitored.


Here’s how AI can help you stay ahead in managing diabetes:

• AI can help track patterns in behaviour.
• AI can help in detecting early-stage diabetes.
• AI can help doctors provide personalised healthcare.

A Handy Tool In Tracking Progression Of Diabetes

AI can be utilised to detect patterns in behaviour that result in high or low glucose levels in diabetic individuals. According to a recent study published in MDDI (Medical device and diagnostic industry) Qmed, medical researchers have come up with an AI system that can detect hypoglycemia or low glucose through data collected from CGM (continuous glucose monitors). The amount of glucose in your body fluids is measured by the CGM.

Those with Type 1 diabetes need to test blood sugar levels multiple times a day to determine how much insulin they should inject. Until recently, the only way of doing this was by using a finger stick needle to obtain a blood sample. However, the CGM does not require finger sticks. It can be scanned using the smartphone app.

AI Can Detect Early-Stage Diabetes

Many health and fitness enthusiasts use wearable fitness apps like Samsung Health to keep a track of their sleep patterns, calorie intake, etc. These AI-run apps can also aid in detecting early-stage diabetes, especially Type 2 diabetes. Your health app can send alerts if your data display red flags- i.e, you seem to have symptoms of Type 2 diabetes. You can also track your stats and receive prevention methods such as limiting sugar intake and measuring food quantity.

AI can also be used to check if a patient has developed diabetes-related complications such as diabetic retinopathy which is a condition that leads to a loss of vision. The AI software can determine if the patient needs to consult an ophthalmologist immediately. These technologies can be a godsend to detect an otherwise untreatable disease in its early stage and prevent deterioration of health.

AI Can Help Diabetes Patients Extend Their Lifespan By Helping Them Manage Their Diabetes Efficiently

A diabetes diagnosis is not an immediate death sentence. But negligence in diabetes management can lead to more grievous health complications in the long run. Many diabetic patients end up straying from their diabetes management plans and struggle to maintain a balanced lifestyle.

However, with the help of AI, doctors can now help patients reach their diabetes management goals and prevent any drastic increase in blood sugar levels through personalised diabetes management charts that take into account the patient’s medical history, food and lifestyle habits, living arrangements, etc. A medical research team at the University of Houston has come up with a Diabetes Complication Severity Index (DCSI) Progression Tool, which, in addition to a patient's health history, considers how their social and environmental circumstances - employment status, living arrangement, education level, food security - could have an impact on their blood sugar level.

The tool will provide doctors with continuous data so that medical interventions can be taken promptly without any delay. The tool will be developed in collaboration with the Humana Integrated Health System Sciences Institute at the University of Houston. It will also leverage data gathered from Humana Inc. - claims, health records, and individual and community social risk factors. The tool will be tested within the PRIME Registry, a national platform that includes millions of primary care patients nationwide.

Doctors are also recommending diabetes care apps that with the help of AI can come up with personalised diet plans for patients. This will include suggestions of food choices, how much they should be consumed and how many calories each food item will have. These apps will provide a lot more autonomy to the patients and help them keep track of their blood sugar levels by themselves.