Use of Mobile Health Technology in the Prevention and Management of Diabetes Mellitus

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality globally, with diabetes being an independent risk factor. Adequate diabetes management has proven to be resource-intensive, requiring frequent lab work, primary care and specialist visits, and time-consuming record-keeping by the patient and care team. New mobile health (mHealth) technologies have enhanced how diabetes is managed and care is delivered. While more recent work has investigated mHealth devices as complementary tools in behavioral interventions for diabetes prevention and management, little is still known about the effectiveness of mHealth technology as stand-alone intervention tools for reducing diabetes risk. In addition, more work is needed to identify the role of mHealth technology in treating vulnerable populations to ameliorate cardiovascular health disparities. With advances in mobile health technology development for diabetes prevention and management, these modalities will likely play an increasingly prominent role in reducing cardiometabolic risk for the US population.