"It's very important to get the 2blood sugar 3under control to reduce the patient's risk of developing long-term 4complications."
Dr. Kevin Pantalone with Cleveland Clinic says many of his patients want to know how they can get off of the medications used to help them 5manage blood sugar.
That's why he and a team of researchers are studying how artificial intelligence may be able to help, through an app from Twin Health on a patient's smartphone.
He says the technology uses a person's data from 6biosensors, including their physical activity and 7continuous glucose monitor, and is able to learn a patient's predicted 8glucose responses to various meals, then provides personalized recommendations.
"In real time, it will tell the patients, based on their 9predicted response, what they should consume for the meal, how many grams of 10carbohydrate, as well as the order in which the foods are 11consumed."
After 12 months of research, Pantalone says 71% of patients who took part in the study were able to get an average 12blood glucose level, known as A1C, of 6.5% without any glucose-lowering medications except 13metformin, a common and relatively 14low-cost diabetes drug.
That compared to the less than 3% of the group of participants who tried to achieve the same results with only standard diabetes care from their doctor in that time.
"When you give patients the tools and the technology to succeed, patients can do very well."