Accurate Readings That You Can Trust
The company who brings you CONTOUR® products, Ascensia Diabetes Care offers a portfolio of blood glucose meters which provide suitable accuracy levels for various therapy types. Accurate readings can help you make the right decision when they matter most. Our CONTOUR®NEXT range, ideal for those with Type 1 diabetes or Type 2 using insulin, is remarkably accurate to +/- 10% compared to lab results, surpassing even the industry standard1,4,5 enabling more accurate insulin dosing. The CONTOUR®NEXT ONE meter specifically offers even greater outstanding accuracy at +/- 8.4%. Our CONTOUR®TS meter and improved* CONTOUR® meter (black and silver design), meets the new EN ISO 15197:2015 standard1-5. This meter is ideal for those with Type 2 diabetes not using insulin. This means no matter which of these CONTOUR® meters you use, you can be confident that your meter meets or exceeds accuracy requirements. What affects the accuracy of your blood glucose readings? Have you have ever compared two different types of blood glucose meters and wondered why you don’t get the same reading? How can you be sure that the readings you are getting are accurate? The below are some of the factors which influence blood glucose meter accuracy and performance: Meter accuracy and precision of results – new standards allow meter performance accuracy to vary against results done in a lab setting by +/-15%. Whilst accuracy is important, within this, it is also important to consider the precision or variability of results. With the CONTOUR®NEXT, CONTOUR®TS and CONTOUR® meter (black and silver design), you can feel confident, blood is easily sipped into the test strip itself with no blood entering the meter during the testing process. Not enough blood glucose sample – sometimes you might not Continue reading >>
Are Those Glucometer Results Accurate?
Patient and environmental factors Both patient and environmental factors can interfere with obtaining accurate glucometer results. These include sampling errors, improper storage of test strips, inadequate amount of blood applied to the test strip, improper meter coding, and altitude.1 Temperature extremes and humidity can denature, inactivate, or prematurely rehydrate enzymes and proteins within the test strip.1 GO meters can overestimate glucose levels at low temperatures, while GDH meters can produce unpredictable results in increased humidity.1 The detector portion of the meter is composed of electronics and should be protected from temperature extremes and excessive moisture as well.1 In high altitude, both GO and GDH meters can produce unreliable results, with a tendency to overestimate blood glucose levels.8 Another variable confounding the accuracy of glucometer readings at high altitude is the potential for secondary polycythemia, which can result in underestimation of glucose levels.8,9 Physiologic factors Physiologic factors that can cause inaccurate glucometer results include hypoxia, abnormal pH, hyperuricemia, jaundice, polycythemia, anemia, peripheral vascular disease, and hypotension resulting in poor perfusion.1,7,9 Elevated oxygen tension in patients receiving oxygen therapy can falsely lower glucometer results for GO meters, while hypoxia can falsely elevate glucose results for these meters.1,3 Low pH (< 6.95), such as in diabetic ketoacidosis, falsely lowers glucose readings in GO meters, while a high pH falsely elevates glucose readings.1,10 Elevated serum uric acid (> 10-16 mg/dL) and elevated total bilirubin concentration (> 20 mg/dL) can cause overestimation of blood glucose levels due to electrochemical interaction at the electrode site in GDH-P Continue reading >>
Glucose Meter
Four generations of blood glucose meter, c. 1993–2005. Sample sizes vary from 30 to 0.3 μl. Test times vary from 5 seconds to 2 minutes (modern meters typically provide results in 5 seconds). A glucose meter is a medical device for determining the approximate concentration of glucose in the blood. It can also be a strip of glucose paper dipped into a substance and measured to the glucose chart. It is a key element of home blood glucose monitoring (HBGM) by people with diabetes mellitus or hypoglycemia. A small drop of blood, obtained by pricking the skin with a lancet, is placed on a disposable test strip that the meter reads and uses to calculate the blood glucose level. The meter then displays the level in units of mg/dl or mmol/l. Since approximately 1980, a primary goal of the management of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes mellitus has been achieving closer-to-normal levels of glucose in the blood for as much of the time as possible, guided by HBGM several times a day. The benefits include a reduction in the occurrence rate and severity of long-term complications from hyperglycemia as well as a reduction in the short-term, potentially life-threatening complications of hypoglycemia. History[edit] Leland Clark presented his first paper about the oxygen electrode, later named the Clark electrode, on 15 April 1956, at a meeting of the American Society for Artificial Organs during the annual meetings of the Federated Societies for Experimental Biology.[1][2] In 1962, Clark and Ann Lyons from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital developed the first glucose enzyme electrode. This biosensor was based on a thin layer of glucose oxidase (GOx) on an oxygen electrode. Thus, the readout was the amount of oxygen consumed by GOx during the enzymatic reaction with the substra Continue reading >>
Are Your Blood Sugar Readings Accurate?
Glucose meters are an important part of blood sugar control. Find out how to interpret the numbers to effectively monitor blood sugar and help lower A1C. If you have type 2 diabetes, testing blood sugar levels regularly — and understanding what the numbers on each reading mean — can help you monitor blood sugar and better manage the condition. These numbers are important because blood sugar test results can help you figure out how your diet, exercise, and medications might be affecting your diabetes. When you master blood sugar readings, you’ll be on your way to better blood sugar control and, ultimately, better results on your A1C test, the blood test your doctor orders to track blood sugar control over time. Maintaining good blood sugar control over a long period, such as a decade, could significantly reduce your risk of diabetes complications like heart attack and stroke. Understanding Blood Sugar Fluctuations Even with highly effective modern technologies such as digital glucose meters, people with diabetes still worry about testing accuracy. Although you want to get the best results for each skin prick, when you’re new to blood sugar testing it can be confusing to watch those results change throughout the day. “It’s helpful to understand that blood sugar changes minute by minute,” says certified diabetes educator Karen A. Chalmers, MS, RD, CDE, diabetes services program manager in the section of endocrinology, diabetes and nutrition at Boston Medical Center in Massachusetts. For example, a person might test before coming to a medical appointment and then be surprised to find that his or her blood sugar is higher or lower by the time the doctor tests it. At first, this can lead to self-doubt and asking yourself, “Am I testing right?” or confusion a Continue reading >>
The Most Accurate Blood Glucose Meter
Credit: Accu-chek.com The Accu-Chek Aviva was first in an evaluation of a dozen meters conducted by a team of testing experts at Germany’s University of Ulm led by Guido Freckmann, M.D. It led the field in accuracy and precision. Few studies of meter accuracy have appeared in the more than 20 years that I have been writing about diabetes. Dr. Freckmann and his team of researchers have been the most relevant, reliable, and prolific in testing our meters. But some of the meters that they evaluated aren’t available in the United States. The leading diabetes journal that evaluates our meters just released the full text of this meter accuracy study. The editors tell me that the study will be free online only until March 31. Most Relevant Info So don’t wait too long if you want to review the whole thing. Meanwhile, I summarize below what I think is the most relevant information. The journal is Diabetes Technology & Therapeutics, and the study is “Evaluation of 12 Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems for Self-Testing: System Accuracy and Measurement Reproducibility.” The journal published it two years ago, but until now only the abstract has been freely available to us. Dr. Freckmann and his colleagues rated the meters against both the current and proposed standards. The current standard can be met more easily. It requires that at least 95 percent of the results fall within plus or minus 15 mg/dl at blood glucose levels below 75 mg/dl and within plus or minus 20 mg/dl at levels greater than or equal to 75 mg/dl. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) set this level back in 2003, and it is the standard not only in Europe but also in the United States because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration uses it. The Tighter Standard ISO’s 2013 standard is tigh Continue reading >>
- New Diabetes Test Could Be More Accurate
- A Craftsman Blames His Tools: Blood Glucose Meter Accuracy & Long-Term Diabetes Control
- Postprandial Blood Glucose Is a Stronger Predictor of Cardiovascular Events Than Fasting Blood Glucose in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Particularly in Women: Lessons from the San Luigi Gonzaga Diabetes Study
Glucose Meters: A Review Of Technical Challenges To Obtaining Accurate Results
Go to: Introduction Glucose meters are widely used in hospitals, outpatient clinics, emergency rooms, ambulatory medical care (ambulances, helicopters, cruise ships), and home self-monitoring. Glucose meters provide fast analysis of blood glucose levels and allow management of both hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic disorders with the goal of adjusting glucose to a near-normal range, depending on the patient group. The development of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is probably the most important advance in controlling diabetes since the discovery of insulin in the 1920s and provides the ability for diabetes patients to test their own blood glucose and adjust insulin dosage to control their glucose needs. With the universal availability of glucose meters today, it is difficult to imagine that managing blood glucose was once considered impossible. The history of glucose meters started in 1963 when Ernie Adams invented the Dextrostix®, a paper strip that develops a blue color whose intensity was proportional to glucose concentration and could be read by visually comparing the strip color to a color-concentration chart. This method gave an approximation of the blood glucose level. In 1970, Anton H. Clemens developed the first blood glucose meter and glucose self-monitoring system, the Ames Reflectance Meter (ARM), to detect reflected light from a Dextrostix.1 This ARM weighed 3 lb, cost $650, and was intended for physician office use. Richard K. Bernstein was the first patient to test his blood glucose with an ARM.2 Medical journals at the time refused to publish this method, so Bernstein had to complete medical school at the age of 45 in order to gain attention for this method from the medical world. The idea of SMBG developed by Bernstein had to travel to Europe and Continue reading >>
Blood Sugar Meters May Give Inaccurate Readings
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - In a new study, portable meters used to gauge blood sugar levels in pregnant women with diabetes gave readings that differed from lab tests by up to 16 percent. That kind of inaccuracy is concerning, researchers say, because small differences in blood sugar during pregnancy can have potentially serious consequences for the mother and baby. But that doesn’t mean women should stop using glucose meters. Instead, they should pay more attention to getting the readings right, Dr. David Sacks, who heads the clinical chemistry lab at the National Institutes of Health, told Reuters Health. People with diabetes often rely on the devices as convenient indicators of when to take insulin and how much they need. “They’re very small, you can put them in your pocket,” said Sacks, who was not involved in the new work. “You can prick your finger and get the result immediately. But the meters have never been as accurate as blood that’s drawn in central labs.” To test just how accurate they really are, Dr. Nimalie Perera, of the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, Australia, compared readings from 102 women to a more precise lab test. The women all had diabetes -- most of them gestational diabetes, which begins during pregnancy -- and came to a prenatal clinic for nurses to measure their blood sugar levels. For each patient, nurses drew blood with a finger prick using six different glucose meters. The most accurate model, Stat-Strip, was off from the lab result by an average of 6 percent, according to findings published in Diabetes Care. The least accurate, Optium Xceed, was off by almost 16 percent. Both are available in the U.S. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has to approve all devices that are marketed for medical conditions in the co Continue reading >>
Why Is The Glucometer Reading High Compared To The Lab Test Reading?
Many users have responded with details about the difference. I’ll focus on a different aspect. The actual number does not matter much. I believe different labs will give out different readings for the blood glucose levels for the same blood sample. Dont worry too much about the actual number - focus on whether it is normal, high or low. Avoid lows, and minimise highs to ensure a good HbA1c (a 3 month average). I see a lot of people focussing on the number and getting stressed out - “my blood glucose is 150, I am worried”, etc. Stop worrying about the actual number - the number keeps fluctuating through out the day. What matters is a long term average and good HbA1c. I feel many people take the blood glucose reading like an exam score. High means failure; and within range means success. It is nothing like that - given the inaccuracies in the instrument and the fluctuations through out the day, dont feel stressed with a number above normal. Also, correlate the blood glucose readings with your HbA1c. If you are having a HbA1c reading of < 7 with a 140 mgdL fasting blood glucose level as measured by the glucometer; that’s fine. As long as the meter shows < 140 mgdL, you are good. You need to be concerned only if the reading is consistently above this. Continue reading >>
Everything You Need To Know About Diabetes Test Strips
Update: A lot of our readers ask us where can they find the best deals for test strips. We personally recommend Amazon. You can check the list of selections they offer by clicking here. Blood glucose test strips play a crucial role in helping you to monitor your daily blood glucose level and giving your doctor the data to adjust your medication to control your diabetes symptoms. Without the help from these little disposable strips, life with diabetes can become even more chaotic than ever. But what exactly are these thin little plastic slip and why are they so expensive? Are there any alternative method I can use? Where can I get the best deal on these test strips? This article will answer many of your questions and concerns regarding these blood glucose test strips: Table of Contents History on Glucose Test Strips How Does the Test Strips Work Why Are the Strips So Expensive? And Why the Price Discrepancy? Why Must Diabetic Patients Use Glucometer and Test Strip? How Often Should You Administer A Blood Glucose Test? How to Find Out if Your Glucose Monitor is Accurate? How Accurate Are the Test Strips? How to Find Out if Your Glucose Monitor is Accurate? What is a Urine Glucose Test? Can’t I Use This Procedure Instead? Expiration of Test Strips Medicare Plan B Coverage for Glucose Test Strips Where to Get the Best Deal on Test Strips? Ways to Save of Test Strips How to Avoid Counterfeit Blood Glucose Test Strips Can You Reuse Test Strips? Can You Make Your Own Test Strip? 4 Most Affordable Meters How to Pick the Right Glucometer? How to Dispose Used Test Strips, Lancets, and Needles? What to Do with All These Test Strip Containers? Selling Your Glucose Test Strips A Good Idea? Odd Way to Earn Some Money Back Questions? History on Glucose Test Strips The first glucomet Continue reading >>
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 >>
8 Common Mistakes That Affect The Accuracy Of Blood Glucose Test Reading
Most blood glucose testing meters sold in the market are precise and accurate since they have been heavily tested and checked by the experts in labs before approval for sale. In most circumstances, the accuracy of test reading are affected by mistakes made by consumers or users whom are doing the test. Here are 8 common mistakes that we have observed. 1. Contaminated meter or testing strip Meters that have not been properly cleaned and contaminated with old blood may cause false high or low readings. Testing strips that have been used should be thrown away after each use. In addition, storage of strips should be secured at all times with the cap tightened. 2. Meter or testing strip not within the normal room temperature Meters or testing strips that are exposed to either too high or too low room temperature will cause false reading. Be reminded that you should always keep all your blood testing equipments in a dry and normal environment. Avoid them from the reach of your children if possible. 3. Expired or used testing strip Strips that have been outdated or used in previous test should be kept away whenever a new test is to be performed as they may affect the result too. 4. Uncalibrated meters You should calibrate your meter for it to have a correct code matching the test strips you are going to use. Always remember to perform your calibration before any test to ensure reading accuracy. As some meters calibrate automatically, you may like to put this into consideration when choosing your blood glucose meter. 5. Too little or large drop of blood Too small a drop of patient blood for testing may also give a false low reading. Patients should remain calm and relaxed at all times. In addition, there should not be an over-squeezed amount of blood too. 6. Strip not fully ins Continue reading >>
A Craftsman Blames His Tools: Blood Glucose Meter Accuracy & Long-term Diabetes Control
A Craftsman Blames His Tools: Blood Glucose Meter Accuracy & Long-Term Diabetes Control Summary After consistently receiving higher-than-expected A1c results, I tested my meter against four of the most popular meters available to see if systematic bias was at the heart of my frustration. The results were particularly damning to not only my meter, but to the landscape as a whole. I found that meter accuracy alone could be responsible for a full 1.5% difference in A1c without any change to perceived glucose control, resulting in significantly different treatment plans and emotional outcomes. This contrasts the rhetoric presented by device manufacturers, medical providers, and leading diabetes organizations, all of whom take a particularly casual approach to the question of accuracy. Introduction When I started using Dexcom’s G4 Platinum w/ Share continuous glucose monitor (CGM) about a year ago, I found that my average glucose was not correlating well with my periodic A1c results. Specifically, for three separate three-month periods, my A1c came in a full percentage point higher than my average glucose (as calculated from my CGM data) would predict. This was especially frustrating given how much effort I was spending tuning my homemade artificial pancreas. While there are numerous potential sources for this discrepancy, the fact that it was occurring consistently pointed me in the direction of something that could cause systematic bias: the twice-daily blood glucose meter readings used to calibrate my CGM. For the past seven years or so, I have been using the Johnson & Johnson LifeScan OneTouch UltraLink blood glucose meter. This is the meter that was provided with my Medtronic MiniMed Paradigm 722 insulin pump and carries Medtronic branding. It is not a “current” m Continue reading >>
- A Craftsman Blames His Tools: Blood Glucose Meter Accuracy & Long-Term Diabetes Control
- Tom Hanks Blames Bad Diet For His Type 2 Diabetes, But What Really Causes The Disease?
- Diagnostic accuracy of resting systolic toe pressure for diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease in people with and without diabetes: a cross-sectional retrospective case-control study
Bg Meter Accuracy: 10 Meters Put To The Test!
Are blood glucose meters accurate? A few months ago, I read a post on blood glucose meter (in)accuracy that was quite alarming. Chris Hannemann, T1D and OpenAPS’er, tested five popular blood glucose meters for accuracy and found major discrepancies. The overall variability between the meters was roughly ±11 %, and two of the meters — both from the same manufacturer — showed major bias. Chris had been using one of those meters to calibrate his CGM and consistently found that his lab-measured A1C would come in a full percentage point higher than his CGM average would predict (e.g., the meter-calibrated CGM data would correspond to an A1C of 6%, but laboratory-measured A1C would actually be 7%). As someone who wears a CGM and always strives to achieve an A1C of ~6.0% or lower, this post freaked me out. If I’m calibrating my CGM with a meter whose results are always off by that much… how can I be sure about reaching my targets?!? But I was also skeptical when I saw Chris’ post, because my A1C has always matched my predictions (based on my CGM average). So, I decided to run my own test on 10 popular meters from various manufacturers. Much to my relief, all 10 meters produced very similar results for each blood sample, with an overall between-meter variability of just under 6%. Below I describe the test and discuss the results. And, in another post, I explain some reasons why your average BG on your meter might not always correspond with your A1C results. (Key point: It doesn’t necessarily mean your meter is bad!) The Test The Meters Accu-Chek Aviva Connect Contour Next EZ OmniPod PDM FreeStyle Meter FreeStyle Lite Livongo InTouch OneTouch Ultra Mini One Touch Ultra 2 Walgreens True Metrix Air Walgreens True 2 Go Wal-Mart ReliOn Confirm These 10 meters varied i Continue reading >>
- A Craftsman Blames His Tools: Blood Glucose Meter Accuracy & Long-Term Diabetes Control
- Diagnostic accuracy of resting systolic toe pressure for diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease in people with and without diabetes: a cross-sectional retrospective case-control study
- Home Pet Glucose Meters 101
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 >>
- A Craftsman Blames His Tools: Blood Glucose Meter Accuracy & Long-Term Diabetes Control
- Diagnostic accuracy of resting systolic toe pressure for diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease in people with and without diabetes: a cross-sectional retrospective case-control study
- Kicking Off Diabetes Awareness Month: What Glucose Meter Is Best For Me?
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 >>
- A Craftsman Blames His Tools: Blood Glucose Meter Accuracy & Long-Term Diabetes Control
- Diagnostic accuracy of resting systolic toe pressure for diagnosis of peripheral arterial disease in people with and without diabetes: a cross-sectional retrospective case-control study
- Kicking Off Diabetes Awareness Month: What Glucose Meter Is Best For Me?
