AI helps control diabetes

ORLANDO, Fla. (WGEM) – More than 37.3 million Americans have diabetes. That’s about 11 percent of the US population. Keeping blood sugar under control can improve outcomes in these patients, but it’s not always easy to do. Now doctors are using artificial intelligence to help!

Artificial intelligence is something commonly seen in movies, but researchers are now using this technology to help people with type 2 diabetes get their disease under control.

Mary Vouyiouklis Kellis, MD, endocrinologist, Cleveland Clinic says, “Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness. It can also affect kidney function. It can affect the nerves, it can increase the risk of amputation of the lower limbs.

One of the biggest problems patients face is controlling their blood sugar.

“Over time, when blood sugar levels rise, it can lead to many different complications.” explains Dr. Kellis.

In a new study, researchers looked at technology that uses artificial intelligence and the internet to collect data about a patient’s nutrition, physical activity, breathing and sleep. Thousands of data points are collected via sensors. Information is provided to physicians and patients to guide treatment decisions. The results showed that nearly 84% of patients who used the tool achieved remission, meaning they had normal blood sugar levels for at least three months without taking medication. Scientists say this is the highest type 2 diabetes remission rate to date.

Helping people with diabetes live healthier lives and get off their medications.

Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are on the rise, especially among young people in the United States. From 2001 to 2017, the number of people under the age of 20 with type 1 diabetes increased by 45% and the number of people living with type 2 increased by 95%!