Effect of a Personalized Mobile App on Glucose Control in Adults With Prediabetes and Type 2 Diabetes: Exploratory...

The incidence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) continues to increase, and the lack of individualized therapy strategies hinders patient engagement with and commitment to a healthy lifestyle. The PROTEIN project aimed to facilitate users in choosing healthy living, thereby improving their metabolism and T2D management.

This study aims to assess the efficacy of a personalized mobile app to achieve a 5% time in range (TIR) improvement over a 12-week intervention in adults with prediabetes or T2D.

We conducted an exploratory pilot randomized controlled trial with 21 individuals with T2D or prediabetes who used a continuous glucose monitoring system and the PROTEIN mobile app for personalized meals and exercise recommendations based on their glucose levels and physical activity.

The TIR of the participants increased (P<.05; from 71.8%, SD 27.3% to 76%, SD 28.1%) with individual use of the PROTEIN app but did not achieve a 5% improvement overall; however, given the exploratory design and small sample size, this finding should be interpreted with caution. Glycated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, and body weight did not fluctuate throughout the 12-week intervention. The dropout rate was high, and the average duration of use of the PROTEIN app was 42 (range 5-84) days.

Our results showed a modest increase in TIR with the use of the PROTEIN app; however, considering the exploratory design and small sample size, this finding should be interpreted as preliminary. Integrating wearables and automated personalization for well-being is an innovative approach that must keep pace with the accelerated development of ever-evolving technologies. The COVID-19 pandemic was a major obstacle to recruitment in our clinical trial.

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05951140; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05951140.