Current Diabetes Technology and its Challenges

Introduction Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a prevalent metabolic disease affecting the global population and has been dubbed as an epidemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Recent data has estimated that approximately 629 million people will be affected by 2049, making diabetes a notable healthcare economy burden (1). Epidemiologically, DM and lesser forms, such as glucose intolerance, impaired glucose tolerance, and impaired fasting glucose, are prevalent in every population in the world, and without prevention and early control programs, cases are increasing at an alarming rate. DM can be classified into Type 1, Type 2, gestational DM The prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide. With no cure available, effective disease management is the best way to control disease progression. Studies have shown that diabetes technology helps to improve health outcomes and the quality of life of the patients. Diabetes technology can be defined as any solution encompassing hardware, devices, and software used in the disease management of patients. This review serves as an introduction to diabetes mellitus by discussing the different categories of well-established diabetes technology, related ongoing research, and its challenges. This review is divided into 3 main categories, insulin administration, glucose monitoring, and hybrid devices that combine the 2 categories into one. Digital health application is also discussed as it is becoming a notable tool in the disease management of diabetes. Widespread use of these devices in disease management has been increasing in recent years. However, there are still barriers that prevent the utilization of the full potential of these devices.