London - A few weeks ago came the unveiling of the Apple Watch — a twist on the traditional timepiece, which not only tells you if you’re running late, but also comes with in-built “apps”, many with a health theme.
Mobile phone applications, or apps, have transformed the way we use phones. We download around 25 million each month, and health has emerged as a major area for growth. Early attempts focused on information, providing instant access to details about diseases.
The latest versions aim to use the phone as a DIY tool, taking readings to identify and monitor potentially life-threatening problems. But, from measuring heart rate to checking suspect moles, can an app really help to improve your health? We ask the experts.
Doctor Mole
iPhone, Android and Windows
Doctor Mole is one of several apps that work in a similar way, claiming to be able to detect malignant melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer.
use your smartphone to take a picture of a suspect mole, and the app instantly analyses it for three key indicators — asymmetry, border outline and colour. It then gives a colour-coded ‘risk’ level for each characteristic. It can store images so it can compare next time you scan the mole. It also reminds you, via a message on your phone, when to check it again.
EXPERT VERDICT: “Most of these skin cancer apps have to be considered unreliable,” says John Hawk, emeritus professor of dermatology at King’s College London. “They are very likely to miss moles that are a malignant melanoma, or highlight ones that are not.
“They can get it wrong both ways and that represents a huge risk to the patient.
“Looking at a picture of a mole is not enough to make a diagnosis. A doctor also needs to find out what changes have occurred in the mole.”
iBGStar
Free, for iPhone 5 and iPad
The early diabetes apps focused on dietary and lifestyle information, but newer ones go a step further by also analysing blood samples for glucose levels.
iBGStar works in conjunction with a special blood test meter, which costs £12 from Boots.
The meter has a tiny needle, which allows you to take a blood sample to monitor changes in glucose levels throughout the day.
Once the sample is taken, it is placed on a test strip in the meter. The results are then displayed on the screen of your phone. The app even takes account of factors that can lead to inaccuracies in blood sugar readings — such as changes in temperature and humidity.
One advantage is it automatically collates trends in glucose levels, so GPs can analyse how well diabetes is being controlled more accurately than from a patient’s diary.
EXPERT VERDICT: “This is much appreciated by some of my patients,” says Roy Taylor, professor of medicine and metabolism at Newcastle University.
“It is effective, user-friendly and convenient, as it plugs straight into an item that many people have with them all the time.
“The disadvantage is that the test strips are relatively expensive, and are not necessarily prescribed on the NHS.”
Sleep Assess
Free, for iPhone and iPad
Snoring can be a sign of obstructive sleep apnoea — when the walls of the throat relax and narrow too much in sleep.
It causes a complete collapse that shuts off breathing for ten or more seconds.
Air vibrates against the soft tissue that stands in its way, causing the characteristic ‘rasping’ sound snorers make.
Left untreated, sleep apnoea can cause accidents, as sufferers are drowsy in the day, and raise the risk of high blood pressure and heart attacks, because lack of oxygen repeatedly disrupts sleep.
Sleep Assess works by recording snoring and comparing it with other recordings of diagnosed sleep apnoea sufferers.
EXPERT VERDICT: Professor Jim Horne, former head of the Sleep Research Centre at Loughborough University, says: “Snoring by itself, apart from being a nuisance to a partner, may not be indicative of a sleep-related breathing disorder, unless the upper airway is really obstructed.
“Maybe the partner should use the phone’s camera to film a video of the snorer’s face during a snore and show it to their GP — it might be a more helpful use of the phone in diagnosis.”
This is because the combination of sound and body position would help doctors determine if airways are obstructed due to apnoea.
uHear
Free, suitable for iPhones
This app detects hearing loss by measuring how well you hear sounds at different frequencies, and how well you hear speech when there is background noise.
First, the app plays different sounds at different pitches, and you tap the screen when you hear them. A graph displays the results for each ear.
Part two of the test involves listening to speech against a noisy background. The app asks you to adjust the volume both up or down, until you can hear what’s being said clearly.
Finally, a brief questionnaire gathers more details on how hearing is affected on a daily basis. Results are then plotted on a graph that compares them with what is ‘normal’.
EXPERT VERDICT: This app could be a useful screening tool for people who want to assess whether they may have hearing loss, according to Tony Wright, emeritus professor at University College London’s Ear Institute.
“But it cannot give a diagnosis of what may be causing the problem, so it’s always best to see an ear, nose and throat specialist if someone suspects a problem,” he says.
Know Your Heart Rhythm
Free, works best on the iPhone 5
One of the many apps that monitors your pulse, the Know Your Heart Rhythm app has been developed with the backing of the charity Arrhythmia Alliance.
It works by measuring how light is reflected by blood vessels beneath the surface of the skin. Blood vessels in our bodies rhythmically dilate and contract with every heart beat.
As tiny blood vessels, called capillaries, expand and contract in the tip of the finger, they produce colour changes that are not easily visible to the naked eye — but, under a strong light from a mobile phone camera, they can be measured by the app and used to calculate heart rate.
Fast, slow or irregular heart rates can suggest there is a problem that may need treatment.
EXPERT VERDICT: The Arrhythmia Alliance says the app is not designed to detect heart abnormalities but to encourage patients to seek medical help if their readings vary widely.
“We would never claim it is a detection device, but knowing your pulse is one of the best ways to pick up heart rhythm disorders,” says a spokesman. - Daily Mail