Kovatchev said he did not have a suggested price for the device yet, but believes that the requirements for the hardware would not be any more than that of a modern monitor.

“This technology is intended for implementation in any contemporary meter out there,” he said. “It would make for a very smart meter.”

Dr. Brian Frier of the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh, Scotland, noted that the more information that people with diabetes receive about their blood sugar, the more likely they are to attempt to improve the overall control of their diabetes, provided that they have been instructed on how to effectively modify their therapy and diet.

Still, he was unsure what the new device would add.

“An automated system that is user-friendly may have a role in assisting those with impaired awareness of hypoglycemia, but many with this problem already rely on very frequent blood glucose testing,” Frier told Reuters Health by e-mail, referring to already available real-time monitors that warn patients if their blood sugar falls too low.

Frier, who was not involved in the current study, also expressed concern that participants were recruited through advertising, which means they may have been more apt to stick to treatment modifications and see a benefit.

SOURCE:  Diabetes Care, online January 7, 2010.