Danielle Radin

Study Shows Texting Could Help Type 2 Diabetes Management

A new study from the Scripps Whittier Diabetes Institute in La Jolla shows that texting could be as good as medication at improving Type 2 Diabetes management.

The study looked at a low-income Hispanic community, known to have a high-rate of diabetes.

“Lower income individuals sometimes don’t have the education to know what is the right approach to taking care of diabetes," said Dr. Athena Philis-Tsimikas, who spearheaded the study.

The 63 participants who were randomly assigned to the study group received 354 texts over six months--about two to three short messages a day.

Some of the reminder texts read: "Use small plates! Portions will look larger and you may feel more satisfied after eating."

Another text said, "Time to check your blood sugar. Please text back your results."

Ninety-six percent of the study group participants said the text messages helped them to manage their diabetes "a lot" by the time the trial ended.

"I lost weight," said Gloria Favela, a mural artist from Valley Center. "My blood sugars dropped. They were at a really healthy level.”

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