blangry

I get that. I really do, just wanted to vent! My clinic showed me the iPhone one the other day, and honestly, I would add using the 30 pin connector in with the other proprietary cables thing. Which is a shame as it is /almost/ there. Just presumably if your iPhone dies, then you can't test which is a potential problem.

Couple of points - Yes, pumps give better control, yes it would be a lot better if it were a closed loop system between a continous monitor and a pump with a human confirmation point with suggested actions. We are a little way off that being supported by insurance/healthcare systems as cost effective, so really I am talking about the table as it is set up right now.

There are a number of biological factors that can make a difference, but for type 1 diabetics, the point should be that you know the ratio of carbohydrates eaten to insulin to take. This can vary, but good data helps you get the ratio right. It can also identify if you have high glucose points that match your circadian rhythm, or if you're becoming hypoglycaemic at a certain point regularly and just haven't mentally joined the dots.

Now, yes, you could do all of this through a log book on paper. I could sit down for a half hour each month and look for trends. But, I take readings on a device with digitised output between 4 and 8 times per day. I don't want to have to go analogue with that, I essentially want the blood glucose equivalent of google analytics. I can account for unusual variations (cycled for 10 miles/got blind drunk/etc.) much better if I have a dataset that demonstrates what the benchmark should be.

@russel - I think for Type 1 diabetes it would be nice to get a bit more data, I was on continuous monitoring for a week and it was incredibly helpful to see a bit more information than 4 readings per day.

I think with diabetes, I certainly want the data to be adaptive beyond "constant diet, timing of meals" etc.

@j_s - Yes, I think he makes some fantastic points.

@inetsee - Yes, lots more variables than BG readings, but getting that right is a good start.

@axsar - Thanks, will have a look, although it still relies on proprietary data cable.