RIYADH: With Ramadan approaching and diabetes on the rise, a global health care company has designed a special app to help diabetics fast.

Merck Sharp and Dohme (MSD) launched the app for all smartphones here on Monday. It provides a blood sugar tracker, enabling fasting diabetics to record their glucose levels throughout the holy month and send reports directly to their health care provider via e-mail.

Other key features include a Ramadan calendar, prayer compass, alarm for starting and breaking fast, and a fact sheet providing information about various health issues to providers.

Speaking at the launch, Mashoor bin Nasser Al-Hontoshi, head of the health and therapeutic affairs department at the Ministry of Health, said: “Whether you are newly diagnosed or have lived with diabetes for a long time, it is important to control your blood sugar levels throughout the fasting period.”

“Blood sugar levels and eating habits are important. Those with diabetes must speak to health care professionals up to three months ahead of Ramadan and consider making adjustments to their eating habits to reduce the risks associated with fasting.”

Iman Shisha, head of the diabetes center at King Salman bin Abdulaziz Hospital, said decreased food intake during fasting for people with type-2 diabetes, along with certain medications are well-known risk factors for hypoglycemia and other problems.

Medhat Riad, managing director of MSD Saudi Arabia, said: “Diabetes is a serious condition affecting people’s health and productivity, but at the same time using the right tools and strategies, patients can stay ahead of it.”

He said the app addresses a cultural need and at the same time provides information on how to deal appropriately with fasting during the holy month.

MSD had launched a campaign in 2011 to promote greater awareness among diabetics who fast during Ramadan and developed an information kit specifically designed to give health care professionals tools to help their patients decide whether to fast.

Moreover, in 2012, the campaign introduced a cookbook, which was specifically designed for Arab diabetics, offering them healthier alternatives to traditional recipes.