Mobile and app news in brief

Predicting an unhealthy future

Quealth, an app that allows you to assess your risk of developing certain diseases, can now add dementia to its crystal ball. Made by Roadtohealth, the company announced last month that the app can predict dementia, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, six forms of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
 

Quitting through gaming

Cigbreak, is a mobile phone game that as the name suggests is aimed at smokers wanting to kick their habit. In order to win the game the smoker must break cigarettes. The Camden based company has cited a Canadian study, seen by Digital Health News, where crushing virtual cigarettes somewhat surprisingly led to participants cutting their addiction.

Fertility trends for 2017

Swedish start up, Natural Cycles, claims to be able to identify your ovulation window through its app. The company’s co-founder, Elina Berglund, has given Digital Health News her fertility and pregnancy trends for the upcoming year. She believes more women will abstain from the Pill, technology assisted natural contraception and conception will rise and apps will be more involved in planning pregnancies.
 

Zika risk for pregnant women

Staying in the maternity world, Pregnany+ has now included a Zika Guide within its app. The app has been downloaded over 10 million times, and now includes information on the disease that broke out this year. It particularly affects pregnant women with risks to the developing foetus, and also their partners, who can pass the virus on.
 

Kids can breathe easy

Making inhalers more fun is the Rafi-tone app. Named after the designer’s son who has asthma, the app rewards children for using inhalers correctly by blowing away cartoon baddies. On a small pilot test of 14 children, 91% said it helped them take their medication.