Apple Inc. (AAPL), NIKE, Inc. (NKE): The Mobile Future of Diabetes Treatments

Telcare’s wireless glucose meter is similar to the iBGStar, but it doesn’t require a smartphone. Once it takes a blood glucose reading from a strip, it can directly upload the medical information over cellular networks to their physicians. Users can also track the history of their uploaded data via its Diabetes Pal app for iOS and Android.

Glooko’s app uses a cable to connect to a variety of off-the-shelf glucose meters. The app, which is only available on iOS, takes readings from the meter and makes them available to patients and doctors.

In addition to these meter-reading apps, there is a wide selection of diabetic cookbooks, exercise regimens, carbohydrate trackers, and insulin schedulers available for smartphones.

The Foolish takeaway
An estimated 347 million people in the world have diabetes, which is projected to be the seventh leading cause of death globally by 2030 due to an aging population, more sedentary lifestyles, and unhealthy diets.

Although notable advances have been made in diabetes treatments, such as the experimental inhalable insulin from MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD), the biggest challenge for diabetes patients is the maintenance of the disease.

Therefore, it’s encouraging to see mobile technology improve the quality of life for diabetes patients, and this ongoing convergence of health care and mobile tech could lead to major advances in treatments for other diseases as well.

The article The Mobile Future of Diabetes Treatments originally appeared on Fool.com.

Leo Sun owns shares of Apple. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Nike. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Nike. 

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