SugarStats.com launches - New website will help people with diabetes keep better track of glucose levels

Volcano, Hawaii - SugarStats.com will launch June 21st, offering a web-based system to record and track glucose levels and medication usage, food/carb intake, and exercise and activity levels, information that can be critically important in controlling the disease. The core of this program was designed to be free, making it internet-accessible to as many people as possible.

Tracking blood glucose levels, making sense of the numbers and sharing the all-important data with doctors could all get easier for the millions of people living with type 1 and type 2 diabetes, with the launch this month of a new website created by a 24-year-old computer engineer who knows the challenges of the disease firsthand.

And that, in turn, could translate into better glycemic control and better outcomes for the rapidly growing number of people—nearly 21 million in the U.S. alone, 194 million worldwide—coping with diabetes, the sixth leading cause of death in the nation.

"Every diabetic knows they need to keep good records of their blood sugar, their medications, what and how much food they eat, and how much exercise they do. That's the information they and their doctors need in order to best manage their diabetes," said the site's creator, Marston Alfred, who was diagnosed with juvenile - or type 1 - diabetes when he was 8-years-old.

Alfred said he designed the site to provide a simple, completely web-based interface to track, monitor and access diabetics' glucose levels and diabetes statistics so they or their health care providers would be able to spot dangerous trends, and better manage a diabetic lifestyle from any web browser. He said he conceived of and developed SugarStats.com after a simplified computer program that he created for his own use noticeably helped him better manage his blood sugar levels in a short timeframe.

http://www.sugarstats.com [SugarStats.com] - p.2

"I then shared my idea with other diabetics and got tremendous interest and feedback. Others wanted this too. As I further developed the program and realized how well it worked for me, I knew this should be available for all diabetics. By using SugarStats I lowered my blood sugar levels by 30 percent in just a few months." Marston Alfred, said.

Numerous medical studies have shown that close control of glucose levels substantially cuts the risk of both acute and long-term diabetic complications—including cardiovascular, renal and vision problems, among others.

Similarly, other studies have shown that web-based programs like SugarStats.com can help people with diabetes reduce blood sugar levels, as measured by a standard blood test used to monitor average glucose levels over several months. The National Institutes of Health, American Medical Association and American Diabetes Association studies have all concluded that web-based programs can have a significant impact, as long as the diabetic's health care practitioner can view the data. But such programs have not been generally available up to now.

SugarStats.com aims to address that lack through a "simple, uncluttered interface that allows people to see exactly what changes they need to make in order to have a healthier life," said Alfred, who teamed with his parents, Daerick and Nedrra Lanakila, to create SugarStats.com.

"Those with diabetes now have the option to easily share their statistics with their health care professionals, family and friends to get further consultation, guidance or support," he added.

Even before the site's public launch, a test version was reaching a limited audience, and generating feedback suggesting that Alfred was hitting that mark. SugarStats.com's test market elicited a number of testimonials and has already begun to create buzz on the Internet, where bloggers have picked up on the possibilities and at least one ardent supporter has enthusiastically given his testimonial both on his blog and in a video on YouTube.

"A while back, I blogged about SugarStats, a Web 2.0 application for Diabetes Management," Manny Hernandez, said. "Today, I can proudly say I have effectively been able to reduce my blood glucose levels by almost 10 percent in the past month, by exercising more and becoming more aware of my eating habits and glucose trends, thanks to SugarStats.com."

Basic registration on the site will remain free, offering both glucose and medication tracking. A premium level offers the added features of food and exercise tracking for a small monthly or yearly fee. Signing up takes less then 30 seconds, and for the next 2 weeks, those that choose a premium plan receive two months free with a yearly subscription, Alfred said.

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http://www.sugarstats.com [SugarStats.com]

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Permission to Reprint:
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Journalists, newsletter publishers, bloggers and others: You may reprint anything in this article as long as you include a link to www.SugarStats.com

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Background information for journalists
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Can be found here: http://www.sugarstats.com/diabetes-studies-on-the-positive-effects-of-online-diabetes-management/

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Art
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Need a screenshot of what a diabetic would see on their personal SugarStats page? JPEG images are available at http://www.sugarstats.com/tour