WASHINGTON (AP) – US Health Officers warned that if they use smartphone apps for diabetes management, they may face serious health problems if they control their blood sugar If you lose the required information, US health officials warned.
Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday Have received multiple reports Important medical alerts from their phones are missing or not listening, resulting in dangerous low blood sugar and even death cases.
The agency’s warning applies to the growing field of equipment that tracks patients’ sugar levels or automatically supplies insulin, hormone that helps handle blood glucose and break it into energy Is
These days, many devices are programs on patients’ phone apps. But the FDA has warned that some phone settings, such as preventing notifications, can cause patients to deprive critical updates. In other cases, connecting the phone to a new audio source, such as car stereo, can change the volume of warnings that users are accustomed to listening.
“Even if it is formed properly, some hardware or software changes hindered these important devices,” said Courtney Lis, a director of the division at the FDA’s Device Center. Could do it, which can harm patients if they are not detected. “
About 37 million Americans have diabetes. People with this disease do not either make enough insulin or have become resistant to it.
Continuous glucose monitors are small devices that use a sensor under the skin to measure blood sugar, sending a smartphone or smart watch regularly. Automatic insulin pumps supply hormones through stomach catheter and can be programmed to supply additional insulin before eating.
Make sure glucose monitoring apps are working correctly
FDA Regulators recommend:
– Turn off automatic updates on your smartphone until you confirm that the new operating system is compatible with your diabetes app.
– After connecting your smartphone to a new accessories, such as Bluetooth headphones, confirm that APP warns are still being provided and can be clearly heard.
– Once a month, double check that your smartphone notification settings have not changed.
The FDA only regulates some of the health app features
Since the introduction of iPhone and Android devices, thousands of apps have begun this claim to help consumers handle their health, from calorie counters to mental health apps.
According to regulators, the FDA does not manage the majority of them because if they suffer from defects, they do not have much risk to consumers. The agency mostly enforces safety requirements on apps that transform smartphones into devices, for example, by monitoring heart locks or other critical medical reading.
The FDA said Wednesday that it was “talking to manufacturers to ensure that smartphone alerts were carefully reviewed before the use of patients by the formation of their devices.”
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