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Show HN: The App I Built to Help Manage My Diabetes

• deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
• d416 2y ago
  For an app being in the early stages the feature list is solid. Good work! love these lovingly crafted apps
• chasing 2y ago
  I was founding engineer at a start-up tackling similar problems, albeit using 2014-2022 tech. Email me off-list and I’d be happy to talk through some experiences!
• Nk26 2y ago
  Does the photo recognition attempt to carb count what it sees? Is that even possible? My son is a T1D and he still struggles with carb counting.
  • OccamsMirror 2y ago
    It's probably slightly worse than an educated guess?
  • jrflowers 2y ago
    It is absolutely not possible to carb-count through photo recognition in a way that is reliable enough for a diabetic to safely use to make treatment decisions.
    • Nk26 2y ago
      I meant more in a general way, like a piece of pizza is usually around X carbs. We have apps that make the guess a bit easier but it's almost always a guess. I was thinking could this look at a photo and know there's a sweet potato, a piece of chicken and some corn and give a basic idea.
      • jrflowers 2y ago
        The answer is still Absolutely Not, especially since all food can involve a treatment decision for people with type 1 diabetes. Pizza is a good example of why not. Slices come in very different sizes, sauces have very different carb content, so do crusts, and toppings. Edit: for example this pizza(1) is 31g per slice and this pizza(2) is 73g per slice. The difference is very meaningful and the “general idea” given by photo recognition would likely be wrong to the point of dangerous for a diabetic in both cases. If you’re looking for software that can make a guess simply for the sake of generating a number to write down and not be used in any way, a random number generator would be safer since the risk of output being misconstrued as actual information is much lower. 1 https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/kirkland-signature-cauliflower-crust-pizza%2c-supreme%2c-2-ct.product.100420606.html https://www.costcobusinessdelivery.com/kirkland-signature-ca... 2 https://sbarro.is/product/bbq/ https://sbarro.is/product/bbq/
• jcims 2y ago
  This is amazing, my daughter has been on pump therapy for almost eight years now and just now starting to feel like she has any control at all. I downloaded the app, just to check it out, and the one thing that just struck me right off the bat is the permissions. Read is fine, it’s the write permissions, particularly glucose level and insulin delivery. I don’t know the full app ecosystem, and if it would be possible for your app to interfere with the insulin delivery settings on her pump. if you have a website or anything that discusses how the application operates and what the permissions are used for it definitely check it out. Ultimately though this looks like a great tool! (Also really digging the company name!)
• soared 2y ago
  I’m not in the target market, but most people have no idea what gpt-40-mini is so while it might make sense to list it in the HN title it probably doesn’t make sense to use that term in the dashboard. AI likely makes more sense, or just machine learning
• didgeoridoo 2y ago
  > GluCoPilot I’m dead I love it.
• didgeoridoo 2y ago
  As a fellow indie iOS hacker working on a personal project, I’d love to know more about how you built it! Assuming SwiftUI? Any UI libraries or dependencies? Any learning resources you found particularly helpful? Congrats on shipping, I’m hopefully a month or so away myself :)
• leereeves 2y ago
  Looks great. I'd love to try an Android version.
  • pimeys 2y ago
    There's been one for years already. Instead of sending your data to ChatGPT, it uses multiple scientific models to calculate your insulin resistance, basal dose and can give you an accurate amount of insulin to dose based on the number of carbs you input. What the Android app can do and iOS makes very hard is to control your pump and close the loop. It is illegal to distribute health apps in binary form if they control your pump, but very much legal in source code form. Try it out: https://androidaps.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ https://androidaps.readthedocs.io/en/latest/ This is a life-changing app. It lowered my A1c values from around 8% to 5.5%. What is so special with Android is how easy it is to side-load apps, so you can compile AndroidAPS by yourself and keep using it. In Apple ecosystem you need the developer subscription and you also need to reinstall the app every now and then. There is still the Loop app if any iOS users want to try, but this complication from Apple has just pushed me to Android ecosystem for the past decade already. https://loopkit.github.io/loopdocs/ https://loopkit.github.io/loopdocs/
    • je42 2y ago
      My son (13) and I are also using AAPS for roughly 3 years now. The app does not look styled, however after taking the initial hurdle to find our way around in the app, it is greatly appreciated. Integrates nicely with Xdrip ( anf others)
      • pimeys 2y ago
        It is a life-saver. Learn it once, and it is the most important tool in your diabetic toolbox.
    • tigerwash 2y ago
      There is also iAPS, the AAPS-version but for Apple Devices; also take a look at Trio. https://iaps.readthedocs.io/en/main/ https://iaps.readthedocs.io/en/main/ https://docs.diy-trio.org/ https://docs.diy-trio.org/ But I like using Loop/LoopKit due its simple interface.
• andrewchilds 2y ago
  Congrats on the launch, Joshua! Super impressive work. I built a management app for T1D kids+parents, so I know how much work goes into a project like this. Happy to chat and share what I learned from my own attempt at this if that might be helpful.
• xk_id 2y ago
  It’s not explained so I have no idea where AI is involved, which makes this all the more alarming. I would seriously ask anyone considering the use of computer generated information in healthcare to do some soul searching and ask themselves if literally people’s lives are worth prolonging this bubble.
  • griomnib 2y ago
    Therac-25 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therac-25 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Therac-25
  • serial_dev 2y ago
    I would be wary to put AI functionality in my app, especially if it is a medical or health app. It looks like the intentions are good, but it reminds me of some indie hacker with zero AI (apart from wrapper apps) or therapist background offered “therapist AI”. Some people don’t understand how much garbage AI outputs, and these people might not be skeptical enough when it comes to taking medical advice from gpt
• system2 2y ago
  Question: Doesn't a carb-free (carnivor/true keto) diets eliminate diabetes?
  • junikaefer 2y ago
    No, muscles and the liver constantly release glucose into the bloodstream. Type 1 diabetics can’t produce any insulin and would end up in hyperglycemia.
    • system2 2y ago
      https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/a-diet-that-mimics-fasting-may-reverse-type-1-and-type-2-diabetes/ https://dornsife.usc.edu/news/stories/a-diet-that-mimics-fas...
  • daydreamnation 2y ago
    no. type one diabetics do not produce insulin. the immune system attacks insulin producing cells in the pancreas. there is no "elimination."
  • hnuser435 2y ago
    It can help with type 2 diabetes. Look up Dr. Sarah Hallberg.
  • bdcravens 2y ago
    Depends on the type. For instance, my diabetes is caused by scarring of the pancreas due to another medical condition, and no diet can undo that.
  • hombre_fatal 2y ago
    Don't get your intel from social media gurus.
    • sph 2y ago
      That applies to vegan militants as well. It is well researched now that low-carb puts T2 diabetes in remission, and calling it bro science won't invalidate it.
• bdcravens 2y ago
  Is there any concern about the similarity in name to the company Insulet (the maker of the Omnipod)?
• SushiHippie 2y ago
  If your app uses GPT-4o-mini you should probably update your Privacy Policy, as it states that everything stays on device and nothing is shared with third partys https://anthropometric.godaddysites.com/ https://anthropometric.godaddysites.com/
  • deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  • yeatsy 2y ago
    Thanks for pointing this out, forgot to update the Privacy Policy on the website.
• trialskid1986 2y ago
  As a new diagnose T1D I love this! I signed up for the free week trial to test out some of the AI features. When I asked it to analyze my week the numbers weren’t very accurate compared to my graphs inside the app. If you need help troubleshooting I’d be more than happy to help
• nextworddev 2y ago
  Beautiful charts - may I ask what library you are using?
  • stringsandchars 2y ago
    > what library you are using? Not the OP but these look like they are Apple's own SwiftUI Charts framework: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/charts https://developer.apple.com/documentation/charts
    • nextworddev 2y ago
      thanks! looks nice
• croes 2y ago
  Does the App need GPT to run or was it just used to develop the app?
• asdev 2y ago
  Curious where AI added value for you here? I can see the obvious use cases like photo recognition of meals for tracking, but wondering if there's anything more unique.
• windex 2y ago
  I wish thyroid disorders were easier to measure as well, just like Blood Sugar is. Does anyone know of proxies to actual blood tests for thyroid level management?
  • jermaustin1 2y ago
    As a person with Hashimoto's and struggle with Hashi flares that last a few weeks at a time, I've been working on a PWA that helps me track various things. It is "modular" and lets you track anything you want, so mine is set up to track medicine, food/diet, stress level, exercise, and I can export the text-log and email it to whoever I want. I was daily driving it for a few weeks just to see if I wanted to do anything with it, but a flair up and life got in the way. I have no real plan to release it, but I might add the PWA to github and maybe let other's actually run with it.
• abdussamit 2y ago
  How was the getting approved by Apple workflow? Historically speaking, they take a long time verifying your app. So just curious.
• T3RMINATED 2y ago
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• kamens 2y ago
  fellow t1d + engineer + competitive rower (20 years ago...sigh) here. props on shipping an incredible personal project! if you ever want to geek out about diabetes tech, DM me on X @kamens scott hanselman would probably also love to chat about your project
  • yeatsy 2y ago
    Thanks so much ! Appreciate the kind words about Islet. It still has a long way to go !
• ainiriand 2y ago
  I would like to know more about what kind of data is powered by ChatGTP, what kind of data is sent there because it states on-device. I am not sure how ChatGPT can give any advice (if it is even given in the app) about insulin or glucose.
  • yeatsy 2y ago
    Hey, Thanks for asking. The Islet app is designed as a knowledge base that logs crucial data, including insulin dosages, meals, and physical activities. It aims to provide users with insights into how these factors interact to impact their blood sugar levels. Here's a breakdown of how ChatGPT integrates into the app and what data is involved: What kind of data powers ChatGPT in Islet? The ChatGPT component in Islet acts as a translation and query layer rather than the sole knowledge source. Islet’s knowledge base aggregates and organises the user’s logged data, such as: - Glucose Levels: Derived from CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) data. This Data is currently on a 3hr delay in the app. - Insulin Dosages: Logged by the user to capture the timing, type, and amount of insulin administered. - Meals: Users can log meals in detail, including macronutrient composition, portion sizes, and timing. - Activities: Logs include exercise type, intensity, and duration, as physical activity significantly impacts glucose regulation. Does ChatGPT provide advice? While the app itself does not directly provide medical advice, the ChatGPT integration facilitates better use of the logged data by enabling the user to ask targeted questions. For example: - "How has my blood sugar been affected by pasta meals over the past two weeks?" - "What impact does my 30-minute cycling routine typically have on my glucose levels?" - "Are there patterns between my evening meals and morning glucose levels?" Purpose of the App The primary purpose of Islet is to empower users with a system that captures and organises their diabetes-related data into a knowledge base. The ChatGPT layer makes querying this knowledge base intuitive by translating user questions into actionable insights, offering: 1. Pattern Analysis: It helps users understand trends by analysing recurring meals and activities regimens and their effects on blood sugar levels. 2. Education: Users gain a better understanding of their unique responses to different scenarios, supporting informed decisions in their diabetes management. By focusing on personalised, data-driven insights rather than generic advice, Islet ensures that the ChatGPT integration remains a helpful tool for exploring user-specific trends.
• rasengan 2y ago
  Congratulations on shipping but using LLM for health decisions is highly risky given the risk of hallucinations. Something to consider and probably add some kind of warning about.
• lukko 2y ago
  Hey, I'm a doctor and work in a similar area. I really like the name and well done on shipping. You can tell the app is made by a patient who suffers from the condition, which is amazing. I would be really careful in this area though, especially using ChatGPT to generate suggestions. This to me this does venture into medical device territory, based on the intended use. Check the guidelines here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/medical-devices-software-applications-apps https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/medical-devices-s... - UK specific, but will be similar for FDA. Honestly, I would seek proper consultancy advice, remove any suggestions / recommendations for now, and just have it as a data-logging platform. The disclaimer unfortunately will not stand up. Congratulations on getting this far - I really hope you continue on this path, just make sure you are on firm ground.
  • Adirael 2y ago
    I don't know, I understand the advice and I guess that's probably one of the reasons Loop (https://loopkit.github.io/loopdocs/ https://loopkit.github.io/loopdocs/) is not on the App Store. If they had turned their project into another data-logging platform we wouldn't have commercial closed loop systems.
    • lukko 2y ago
      Thanks for the link. Yep - exactly, they took a leap, but importantly didn't release a full product / package on the App Store, or charge for features. This falls much more into a grey area, but is clearly DIY, and demonstrates demand/need for the commercial / regulated systems. Especially when the problematic features are charged for, it gives the recommendations / suggestions an air of legitimacy which could be dangerous.
      • pimeys 2y ago
        A lot of the research from Loop and AndroidAPS is used in commercial closed loop platforms; many of the people working for these open source utilities also work for medical companies. So you either get lucky and your doctor can prescribe you a commercial loop, or you compile one from source.
• ajith-joseph 2y ago
  [flagged]
  • ahaucnx 2y ago
    This comment looks so much ChatGPT / Gemini generated. I'm not against using it but it feels inappropriate for hacker news discussions and I am not really sure it adds value.
• xivusr 2y ago
  Congrats on shipping! Consider making it Mac compatible with catalyst or iPad app, seems like it would be useful on watchOS and macOS too.
• therahim 2y ago
  Congratulations on shipping! This looks incredibly polished for an initial release from a solo developer. And as others have said, great name! As a T1D dad it's great to see work like this, not least because it should raise the expectations of what we should expect from well funded engineering teams within the established players. Right now it's not a great fit for my use case, in that one phone follows my 9 year old around, but the bulk of management happens on other phones on distinct accounts. I agree with @jcims point about the permissions, greedily allowing write permissions to those data items up front feels like a real point of friction, I'd much prefer to see that done lazily at the point the user is enabling a feature that needs it.
• siquick 2y ago
  First up - awesome work. Having been through the year long build of a similar app for another health condition here’s some thoughts focusing on the GenAI side of things: - What’s the source of the responses? Is this a RAG system or straight-to-LLM?? We have an ever-growing huge repo of domain expert written content which is the source for our RAG system. It’s far easier to control potential misinformation with a well set up RAG and some tight prompting/guardrails. - What verification do you have that the responses are correct? We have a group of 50 highly experienced experts in the field who constantly vet the responses to our synthetic set questions and it was eye opening how often our “looks good to me” analysis was off at the beginning. - The main reason for this questions was that your responses are going to be wrong sometimes, what legal protection do you have? Disclaimers, terms of use at absolute minimum. Who is liable if the answer is wrong? Just presume someone is going to be very upset if your response gives them bunk info. Either way - great work.
• 8mobile 2y ago
  Hi Joshua, I am so sorry to hear about your diagnosis, it happened in our family and it changed our lives. I will definitely try your app because I am curious if AI can improve diabetes management. Does the app support both mmol/L and mg/dL? Have you had any limitations with iOS? Do you have an Android version in mind? Thanks for your efforts
• schusterlich 2y ago
  Hey Joshua, Amazing work with the app and a sad welcome to the pancreatically challenged club from a long term member! I love the app and feel we could have quite some similarities, I too undertook the effort to create a solo-diabetes app for the community, called "Diabetes Cockpit" - i think yours looks much prettier though <3 Would love to connect and have a coffee - tried the contact on the website but its not implemented yet i think ;P So maybe you just get in touch via schusterlich@gmail.com if you are up for it, i would be happy! Really good work! Best, Lukas