NEW SMARTPHONE APP TO REPLACE FINGER PRICK DIABETES TEST

A sensor in the arm may help thousands with diabetes avoid having frequent finger prick tests to help determine their blood sugar level. According to a report published in the ‘mailonline’, the device, called Eversense, is slightly larger than a pill and is implanted under the skin in a fiveminute procedure.
It then continuously monitors blood sugar levels from the fluid that bathes cells just below the skin and transmits the data to a smartphone. If blood sugar levels drop too low or are too high, the patient receives an alert on their phone, so they can take insulin to reduce the levels or eat something sugary to increase them.
The new treatment has been approved in Europe but is not yet available in the United Kingdom, UK.
It will however benefit millions of Nigerians living with diabetes, majority of who use the finger prick tests to source a drop of their blood which is subsequently tested to determine the level of sugar in their blood.
If you have diabetes, selftesting your blood sugar (blood glucose) can be an important tool in managing your treatment plan and preventing long-term complications of diabetes.
You can test your blood sugar at home with a portable electronic device (glucose meter) that measures sugar level in a small drop of your blood. This involves pricking the finger to get the blood.
Diabetes, often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, DM describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both.
According to the Director of Health Intelligence at Diabetes UK, Simon O’Neill, “Research shows that continuous glucose monitoring can improve overall diabetes control and reduce complications such as diabetic coma and foot amputations by reducing the amount of time someone spends with very high or very low blood sugar.”
However, these devices cost several thousand of pounds a year and the Eversense is likely to be similarly priced.
“People pay for continuous monitoring devices themselves and even those who fit the criteria to have one on the NHS can find their local health authority does not fund them for everyone,” said Mr. O’Neill.
“However, in the long term, the cost benefit could be substantial when you factor in the Accident and Emergency, A&E visits and extra medical support needed when someone suffers from uncontrolled hypoglycaemia or very high sugar levels.