FDA to regulate health phone apps THE US Food and Drug Administration will regulate a new wave of applications and gadgets that work with smartphones to help users monitor their health. With the rise of the iPhone, Android and other mobile devices has come a flood of apps designed to help people stay healthy. Industry analysts estimate there are already more than 17,000 medical applications available, ranging from calorie counters to high-tech heart monitors. The FDA says most of these health care apps don't pose much of a risk to consumers and will not be federally regulated. Instead, the agency will focus on a handful of apps that turn smartphones into devices, like a heart monitor, or medical attachments that plug into smartphones, like arm cuffs that measure blood pressure.