InSpark Technologies announced that it has entered into clinical study collaborations with Atlanta Diabetes Associates, a large clinical practice in Atlanta, and East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute, a research center of East Carolina University. The studies will evaluate the impact of a new mobile health (mHealth) application–the Vigilant Diabetes Management Companion–for the prevention of nighttime and moderate low blood glucose in individuals with Type 1 diabetes.
Diabetes affects more than 21.9 million Americans, and Type 1 diabetes is the rarer form in which individuals must rely on insulin treatment because their pancreas does not produce enough insulin to regulate their blood glucose. A dangerous and often frequent occurrence in diabetes management, low blood glucose or hypoglycemia, can be one of the most frightening aspects of living with diabetes. If left untreated, it can cause loss of consciousness, seizures, coma or even death.
According to the American Diabetes Association, hypoglycemia accounts for more than 282,000 emergency room visits a year. Nighttime or nocturnal hypoglycemia is one of the most common types of hypoglycemia in individuals with diabetes using insulin and is particularly dangerous as it often goes undetected.
Each study will enroll participants who will download Vigilant to their iOS2 or Android3 mobile device. Each participant will check his or her blood glucose levels throughout the day using a wireless blood glucose meter that communicates with Vigilant. Vigilant will analyze the person’s blood glucose data, provide concise summaries about his or her daily glucose patterns and send alert messages to the patient and caregivers about periods of risk.
Researchers at Atlanta Diabetes Associates will be evaluating Vigilant’s impact on mild, moderate and severe hypoglycemia. ECU researchers will be studying Vigilant’s effectiveness in helping people with nocturnal hypoglycemia.
InSpark Technologies
www.insparktech.com
Atlanta Diabetes Associates
www.atlantadiabetes.com
East Carolina Diabetes and Obesity Institute
www.ecu.edu