Checking Blood Sugar: Blood Glucose Meter Accuracy
If handheld blood glucose meters were always as accurate checking blood sugar levels as the much bigger (25 pounds), much more expensive ($10,000) analyzers that hospitals and labs use, then hospitals and labs would use the small, personal blood sugar meters. Find out more about how meters get to market, what to look for when choosing your next meter, and how to calculate the performance results of the meter you have now. How meters get to market To get clearance to market a new meter, a manufacturer needs to submit data to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that shows the new blood glucose monitoring system (meter plus test strips) is as safe to use and effective as other devices on the market that have FDA clearance. Many meter companies cite criteria published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), a network of the national standards institutes of 162 countries, based in Switzerland. The standard for blood glucose meters is ISO 15197, published in 2003. It is an FDA-recognized standard. It includes instructions for manufacturers on how tests of accuracy are to be run and what counts as a passing grade. Companies don't have to go by the ISO standard. According to the FDA, "Conformance with recognized consensus standards is strictly voluntary for a medical device manufacturer. A manufacturer may choose to conform to applicable recognized standards or may choose to address relevant issues in another manner." So if a manufacturer isn't using the ISO standard, it still has to make a case to the FDA that the device and strips are as safe to use and effective as others on the market. How is accuracy tested? Accuracy means how close the meter's results are to the results from a big, expensive, carefully calibrated lab analyzer. ISO requires man Continue reading >>
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Testing Blood Glucose Levels
For diabetics, knowing their blood glucose numbers is crucial. What is Blood Glucose? A blood glucose test measures the amount of a type of sugar, called glucose, in your blood. Glucose comes from carbohydrate foods. It is the main source of energy used by the body. Insulin is a hormone that helps your body's cells use the glucose. Insulin is produced in the pancreas and released into the blood when the amount of glucose in the blood rises. Normally, your blood glucose levels increase slightly after you eat. This increase causes your pancreas to release insulin so that your blood glucose levels do not get too high. Blood glucose levels that remain high over time can damage your eyes, kidneys, nerves, and blood vessels. People with diabetes must continually monitor blood glucose to ensure they get the proper treatment for diabetes. There are Two Tests to Measure your Blood Glucose The A1C test reflects average blood glucose level over the last 3 months. A small blood sample to check your A1C can be taken at any time of the day. The A1C test is the best test for you and your health care team to know how well your treatment plan is working over time. The test shows if your blood glucose levels have been close to normal or too high. The higher the amount of glucose in your blood, the higher your A1C result will be. A high A1C result will increase your chances for serious health problems. You and your health care team should discuss the A1C goal that is right for you. For most people with diabetes, the A1C goal is less than 7. An A1C higher than 7 means that you have a greater chance of eye disease, kidney disease, or nerve damage. Lowering your A1C—by any amount— can improve your chances of staying healthy. Ask for an A1C test at least twice a year. Get the test more of Continue reading >>
Are Blood Glucose Meters Accurate? New Data On 18 Meters
Results from the Diabetes Technology Society’s Blood Glucose Meter Surveillance Program identifies only six out of 18 meters that passed. Did yours make the cut? The Diabetes Technology Society (DTS) recently revealed long-awaited results from its Blood Glucose Monitor System (BGMS) Surveillance Program. The rigorous study tested the accuracy of 18 popular blood glucose meters (BGM) used in the US. These FDA-cleared meters were purchased through retail outlets and tested rigorously at three study sites in over 1,000 people (including 840 people with diabetes). The results were troubling: only six out of the 18 devices met the DTS passing standard for meter accuracy – within 15% or 15 mg/dl of the laboratory value in over 95% of trials. The devices that passed were: Contour Next from Ascensia (formerly Bayer) – 100% Accu-Chek Aviva Plus from Roche – 98% Walmart ReliOn Confirm (Micro) from Arkray – 97% CVS Advanced from Agamatrix – 97% FreeStyle Lite from Abbott – 96% Accu-Chek SmartView from Roche – 95% The devices that failed were: Walmart ReliOn Prime from Arkray – 92% OneTouch Verio from LifeScan – 92% OneTouch Ultra 2 from LifeScan – 90% Walmart ReliOn Ultima from Abbott – 89% Embrace from Omnis Health – 88% True Result from HDI/Nipro (Trividia) – 88% True Track from HDI/Nipro (Trividia) – 81% Solus V2 from BioSense Medical – 76% Advocate Redi-Code+ from Diabetic Supply of Suncoast – 76% Gmate Smart from Philosys – 71% Get the full data and all the accuracy information here. While all of these meters received FDA clearance at some point, this study shows that not all are equivalent in terms of accuracy. The FDA looks at company-reported trials when it reviews new meters; this study took an independent look, purchasing the meters di Continue reading >>
Blood Glucose Meters
Over 16 million Americans have diabetes, a disease in which the body cannot store and regulate glucose properly, and 5 million of them experience vision loss as a result. Although blood glucose meters have allowed people with diabetes to manage the disease independently, visual readouts that are hard to see have made many of the devices incredibly difficult for people with vision loss to use. Not just a matter of convenience, these devices can mean the difference between life and death. Because it is imperative that people with vision problems be able to use blood glucose meters, AFB Tech has continues to spend a great deal of time and energy evaluating these products for accessibility and helping manufacturers blaze new trails in accessible design. AFB Tech works with top-notch research institutions, such as the Marshall University Medical School, to ensure that diabetics with vision loss can use blood glucose meters successfully and easily. Product Evaluations Diabetes and Visual Impairment: An Update on Accessible Blood Glucose Meters, AccessWorld®, Vol. 13, No. 2, February 2012. Uslan, M.; Burton, D.; and Clements, C. Blood Glucose Meters That Are Accessible to Blind and Visually Impaired Persons. Diabetes Science & Technology, Vol. 2, No. 2, March 2008. Diabetes and Visual Impairment: An Update on the Accessible Blood Glucose Monitor Market, AccessWorld®, Vol. 9, No. 1, January 2008. Diabetes and Visual Impairment: New Talking Blood Glucose Meters Enter the Market, AccessWorld®, Vol. 8, No. 2, March 2007. Uslan, M.; Eghtesadi, K.; Burton, D. Blood Glucose Meter Accessibility for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons. Ergonomics in Design, vol. 12, no. 3, 2004: 19-25. Uslan, M; Eghtesadi, K; Burton, D. Accessibility of Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems for Blind and Continue reading >>
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All-in-one Smart Glucose Meter
The Dario All-In-One Smart Glucose Meter is specially designed to fit your lifestyle in the digital age. This sleek, complete glucose monitoring solution includes a simple-to-use glucose meter, a disposable test strip cartridge holding 25 test strips, and lancing device – and easily fits in your pocket. Using the technology and mobility of your smartphone, the Dario connects to your mobile device and automatically logs your blood glucose measurements, sharing your results with caregivers and doctors – no matter where you are on the globe. Why You’ll Love the Dario Smart Glucose Meter Connects directly to your Smartphone – no need for extra cables or adapters Rapid results – receive your blood glucose reading within 6 seconds Accurate – Dario accuracy meets ISO standards with only a small blood sample Pocket-Size Meter – easily fits into your purse or pocket, no need for a bulky pouch or case Battery free – the power comes from the SmartPhone. No need to carry extra batteries for your glucose meter Strip Cartridge Each strips cartridge holds 25 disposable strips. Reloading your strips is simple, just pull out the old cartridge and insert a new one. Glucose Meter The simple-to-use Dario Smart Glucose Meter automatically tracks your blood sugars with a tiny meter that plugs into your phone’s audio jack. Blood glucose readings are directly tracked, charted, and analyzed for you. Lancing Device The Dario All-In-One Smart Glucose Meter contains a lancing device for convenient blood glucose testing. Simply place your finger on the lancet end of the Dario, pull down on the lancet slider, and push the release button to use. Smart Mobile Device Integration The Dario Smart Glucose Meter is cleared for use with a variety of mobile devices. The glucose meter pops o Continue reading >>
When Should I Replace My Blood Glucose Meter?
Replace your blood glucose meter for diabetes every one to two years. That's how long a typical glucose monitor will last if you're diligent about proper maintenance—like cleaning the lens, keeping batteries fresh and using the "check strip" with each new container of diabetic test strips. If an unusually high or low blood sugar result occurs, retest to verify the result; when the blood glucose meter stops being 100 percent reliable, check with your health insurance company about replacing it. When you do get a new glucose machine, keep the old one as a backup unless the doctor treating your diabetes feels it has become too unreliable. By Joyce A. Generali, M.S. FASHP, R.Ph., director of the University of Kansas Drug Information Center and the author of The Pharmacy Technician’s Pocket Drug Reference From our sister publication, Diabetes Focus, Summer 2011 Continue reading >>
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Blood Glucose Meter Buying Guide
A blood glucose meter is a small device that quickly measures and displays your blood glucose level. It's a great tool to help you self-monitor and manage your blood glucose. It gives you immediate results to make sure you're staying within your target range and allows you to quickly treat or react to low blood glucose levels if you're insulin dependent. Want to know how we get our review results? Check out how we test blood glucose meters. Blood glucose meter reviews Here we'll tell you: See our article for general information about diabetes. To check your blood glucose levels you'll need a blood glucose meter, lancet (finger-pricking) device and blood glucose testing strips. The process of taking a reading is quite simple. Generally all you'll need to do is: Insert the testing strip into the blood glucose meter Draw blood by inserting the lancet, loading and pricking your finger Place blood on the testing strip Take the reading You'll receive a reading in mmol/L (millimoles per litre of blood) – this is the international standard for measuring blood glucose levels. Depending on your type of diabetes and medication, you might need to check your levels at various times throughout the day (usually before meals, two hours after meals, before bed and before driving or exercise), but your health care professional will guide you on how often and when you should be checking your glucose levels. Once again your optimal blood glucose level/range will be determined by your doctor or health care professional. They determine this range by taking into consideration: the type of diabetes you have your age how long you've had diabetes the medication you take any other health conditions you have With each drop of blood your meter will give a different reading depending on when you'v Continue reading >>
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New Breathalyzer 'monitors Blood Glucose' In Diabetics
A scientist has created a novel noninvasive breathalyzer device that he says can monitor blood glucose levels in diabetics. This is according to research presented at the 2013 American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Annual Meeting and Exposition. According to the American Diabetes Association, 25.8 million people in the US suffer from diabetes - a disease that stops the natural uptake of sugar in the blood and often needs regular blood glucose monitoring. Current technology to measure glucose in the blood includes the use of a portable testing meter. This is an electronic device that can measure sugar levels in the body from a small drop of blood. But Ronnie Priefer, of Western New England University, Springfield, MA, says that this technology is invasive, can often cause discomfort for the patient, and can lead to low compliance - meaning there may be bad health outcomes. Therefore, he looked to create a new noninvasive technology with equal efficacy. The hand-held breathalyzer was created using nanometer-thick films that are made up of two polymers. These polymers are able to react with acetone. Acetone is one of the ketones - acids that remain in the body when the body burns its own fat. Ketones build up when there is not enough insulin to help fuel the body's cells, meaning they are more common in people with diabetes. In the breathalyzer device, the acetone joins to the polymers and alters the physical chemistry of the film. The film then discloses the amount of acetone detected, which in turn reveals glucose levels in the blood. Commenting on the strengths of the device, Priefer says: "Breathalyzers are a growing field of study because of their potential to have a significant positive impact on patients' quality of life and compliance with diabete Continue reading >>
Blood Sugar (glucose) Monitors
How often is it covered? Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers blood sugar monitors as durable medical equipment (DME) that your doctor prescribes for use in your home. Who's eligible? All people with Part B are covered. Your costs in Original Medicare If your supplier accepts assignment, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount, and the Part B deductible applies. Medicare pays for different kinds of DME in different ways. Depending on the type of equipment: You may need to rent the equipment. You may need to buy the equipment. You may be able to choose whether to rent or buy the equipment. Medicare will only cover your DME if your doctors and DME suppliers are enrolled in Medicare. Doctors and suppliers have to meet strict standards to enroll and stay enrolled in Medicare. If your doctors or suppliers aren’t enrolled, Medicare won’t pay the claims submitted by them. It’s also important to ask your suppliers if they participate in Medicare before you get DME. If suppliers are participating suppliers, they must accept assignment. If suppliers are enrolled in Medicare but aren’t “participating,” they may choose not to accept assignment. If suppliers don't accept assignment, there’s no limit on the amount they can charge you. To find out how much your specific test, item, or service will cost, talk to your doctor or other health care provider. The specific amount you’ll owe may depend on several things, like: Other insurance you may have How much your doctor charges Whether your doctor accepts assignment The type of facility The location where you get your test, item, or service Continue reading >>
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Top 5 Smallest Blood Glucose Meters
Tweet One of the benefits of technology is that clever things can come in surprisingly small packages - meaning blood glucose meters are getting smaller. Many of today’s blood sugar meters are small, discreet and easy to use. Most blood test meters do the basics and do them well - almost all meters on the market have fast test-times, small blood sample requirements and downloadable results. The smallest meters For many people, the blood test machine they choose is down to what they are familiar with. Some people stick with the same manufacturer, some like to adopt the latest technology such as Contour USB and some people just listen to what their healthcare team recommends. For many people however, having something portable, light and preferably pocket-sized is high on the agenda. For that reason, we've selected the top 5 smallest blood glucose meters on the market in the UK. Many of the meters are very recent - with some, including the Contour NEXT USB and Accu-Chek Mobile, leading the way in terms of innovation. 1. Abbott Diabetes Care Freestyle The Abbott Diabetes Care Freestyle Lite is a stylish, discreet blood glucose meter. An easy-to-use machine, there is no coding required to make it work. Sometimes referred to as a micro-meter or a mini meter, it fits into the palm of the hand, with room to spare while the screen is actually quote a big part of the design (good for kids and adults alike). The hole you put the test strip in has a dash of yellow to help you load the strip into the right place while its rubber ‘bum’ means the meter won’t slide about while you’re using it. Abbott Diabetes Care Freestyle review 2. Bayer's Contour NEXT USB From Bayer, the Contour USB was released in 2010 and holds a rather whopping 2,000 test results. The point is to make i Continue reading >>
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Inaccurate Blood-glucose Readings Can Be Caused By A Number Of Factors
If you have diabetes, your blood-glucose meter is a critical tool that gives you the necessary insight as to what’s going on inside your body at a given moment—an absolutely essential piece of knowledge, particularly if you use insulin. That’s why it’s important to ensure that your meter is functioning correctly and giving you accurate readings. Start by periodically using a glucose solution provided by your meter’s manufacturer to test the accuracy of the results you’re getting. And watch out for these factors that can affect your meter readings: Outdated test strips. Incompatible test strips. It’s actually possible with some meters to insert a strip that is not meant to be used with that meter. This can be a problem if you buy strips that are manufactured by another company; while test strips from non-meter manufacturers are usually fine, be sure that you’re buying the strip that that is made for your meter. Substances on your hands. For example, substances on the finger used for lancing, even a small amount that can’t be seen, may cause a high blood-glucose reading. Temperature changes. Your meter’s user’s manual (or web site) will tell you the temperature range in which your meters will function correctly. Wet fingers. Fluid mixing with blood may cause an inaccurate reading. So, with these potential problems in mind, the Certified Diabetes Educators in the clinic at Joslin Diabetes Center recommend following these steps in testing: Before using the meter for the first time and again every few weeks, check your meter using the control solution. Once opened, the control solution is only good for three months. Label the control-solution bottle with the date when you opened it. Check the date and shake the control solution before using it. The valu Continue reading >>
What It's Like To Test Your Blood Glucose
Blood glucose tests are performed with a portable electronic device called a glucose meter, or glucometer, which measures glucose levels in a small drop of your blood. To test your blood, you prick your finger with a tiny lancet to extract one drop. You then place the drop on a test strip that's inserted into the glucometer. The machine measures and reports the level of glucose. Choosing a glucometer can be daunting. There are about 75 different brands on the market, and the devices come in several different styles and levels of complexity. Your choice of glucometer is an individual decision, but differentiating among the wide variety of products can be overwhelming. For help in making this important choice, call in the troops: Your certified diabetes educator (CDE) can help you choose one that works for your lifestyle and your degree of comfort with technology. Ask your doctor, too. A knowledgeable pharmacist can help with testing equipment as well. You may also wish to crowdsource the topic at a diabetes support-group meeting and get feedback from the people who use them every day. Keep in mind that Consumer Reports tests glucometers, so you might want to check out their latest reviews before making a purchase. After you've done your homework, check with your insurance company; they'll cover certain brands of glucometers and test strips. Once you get comfortable with your meter, it will provide you with the data you need to understand how your diet and your level of activity affect your blood-glucose levels. Some have an audio function and announce your numbers; some are backlit so you can read your numbers in the dark. Most are designed to fit easily in your hand, but there are large versions with bigger readouts, as well as mini versions. Modern glucometers generall Continue reading >>
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Meter Accuracy
Two things landed on my desk recently. One was a newspaper article saying that the Food and Drug Administration has asked the international body that sets standards for home blood glucose meters to tighten its accuracy requirements. (A public meeting on the topic is scheduled for March 16 and 17.) The other was a letter from a Diabetes Self-Management subscriber who described how she had attempted to compare two home meters with a plasma glucose measurement done in a laboratory — and how she was unnerved when she got three different readings. Stricter standards for meter accuracy would be a welcome development: Currently, most available blood glucose meters are accurate only to within 10% to 15% of the actual blood glucose level. But it will likely be a while before standards are changed and more accurate meters become the norm. In the meantime, there are steps you can take to get the best possible results from your meter. One of the most important is to use only strips made for your meter and to use them correctly. This includes making sure the strips have not passed their expiration date, coding your meter for each new batch of strips (if you use a meter that requires coding), and being careful to store your strips in their original container, away from sources of heat, cold, or humidity. Improperly used or stored strips are one of the biggest sources of error in home blood glucose monitoring. To check whether a batch of strips is OK, use a drop of the control solution (unexpired!) that’s compatible with your meter on one of the strips in the batch. If you still want to check the accuracy of your meter by comparing it to a laboratory measurement, there is a way to do that. But getting meaningful results requires doing it right — both on your end and on the labor Continue reading >>
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5 Must-follow Steps To Calibrate Your Blood Glucose Meter Correctly
It is important for people to check their blood glucose level once in a while to see if they are diabetic or within the normal range. Especially for diabetic patients, it is extremely important for them to always monitor their blood sugar level. You may consider this a precautionary measure for yourself so that your blood sugar will not increase up to dangerous levels. Of course, in order for this to work, you have to ensure that your glucose meter is properly calibrated. Otherwise, what is the point of checking? You will not get the correct results anyway. So for diabetics out there who own one, here are the correct ways to calibrate it before you can start using it for your test. 5 Must-Follow Step To Calibrate Your Blood Glucose Meter Correctly Firstly, you have to check the code on the test strip vial. This can usually be found in bold print. Next, turn the meter on. Most units automatically do this once that you place the test strip inside. The test port can usually be found either on the top of the meter or at the bottom area. You can tell that the meter is not properly calibrated if the code that appears on the test strip vial does not match the one on the meter. If the meter is brand new and has never been used before, it is highly possible that it does not have a code at all. A flashing blank space will be displayed instead. The calibration process starts the moment when you set the code into the meter itself. How do you do that? It depends on the unit that you have. There are some meters that come with up and down arrows while some have only one button. Just continue pressing the button until you see the code that matches the vial. The last step is for you to test if it works by taking a blood sample. Once the test is complete and the display on the blood gluc Continue reading >>
Why Ketone Measurements Are Important
Nova Max Plus incorporates advanced technology for accurate and precise self-monitoring of blood glucose and ketones by people with diabetes. Nova Max Plus has the most comprehensive features for fast, easy, and error-free blood glucose and ketone monitoring. Glucose and Ketones on the Same Meter The Nova Max Plus Glucose Meter automatically converts itself to a Ketone meter by inserting the Nova Max Plus Ketone strip. Why Ketone Measurements Are Important Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening metabolic complication of diabetes with a mortality rate of 2%-10%1 DKA is the leading cause of hospitalization, morbidity, and death in children with type 1 diabetes 2 The use of a blood test for early detection of increased blood ketone levels can help to avert DKA3,4,5 According to the ADA, blood ketone testing should be performed on sick days and whenever glucose is greater than 250-300 mg/dL. Laffel L. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am 2000;29:707-723. Casteels K et al. Rev Endoc Metab Disord 2003;4(2):159-166. Laffel LM et al. Diabet Med 2005;23(3):278-284. Umpierrex GE et al. Treat Endocrinol 2003;2(2):95-108. Guerci B et al. Diabetes Metab 2005;31:401-406. ADA. Diabetes Care 2004;27:S91-103. No Coding Needed Miscoded meters can lead to glucose errors as large as 50%.1 2 Boyd, J. et al. (2003). Quality specifications for glucose meters: Assessment by simulation modeling of errors in insulin dose. Clinical Chemistry, 47(2), 209-214. Raine, C. (2007). Significant insulin dose errors may occur if blood glucose results are obtained from miscoded meters. Journal of Diabetes Science & Technology, 1(2). No Maltose Error Nova Max Plus prevents falsely elevated glucose results due to non glucose sugars in the blood such as maltose. Test strips that use the glucose dehydroge Continue reading >>
