A new device that is in the developmental and testing phases could help diabetics who suffer from low blood sugar and hypoglycemia lower their risk of complication by using the biofeedback device.
To test the biofeedback device's ability with both low blood sugar and hypoglycemia at the same time, Kovatchev and his colleagues studied 120 type 2 diabetic that require the use of insulin to maintain a normal blood sugar level. All of the diabetics in the study received three different levels of feedback, with each level continuing for 3 months.
Level one provided basic blood sugar monitoring alone, while levels two and three added long-term averages and measures of variability, as well as estimated risks for hypoglycemia based on blood sugar values and the patient's symptoms. As the expected, the results of the diabetics level one blood sugar monitoring was generally enough to keep the average levels from rising too high.
Each diabetic got a commercially available blood sugar meter with test strips, as well as the handheld device necessary for levels two and three, and used the device four to five times every day. “(LifeScan, Inc., which has worked with the University of Virginia on the development of the technology, helped fund the research and provided the blood sugar meters.)”
The diabetics who already had their blood sugar under control before the study saw little improvement with the new device and those who did not have good control saw an improvement in most cases.
Source: http://health.yahoo.net/news/s/nm/us_could_new_diabetes_device_cut_low_blood_s
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