Glucometer 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 >>

What Are Satisfactory Blood Glucose Meter Readings?

As of 2007, 7.8 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes, according to the American Diabetes Association. Although this condition can lead to life-threatening complications if not controlled, monitoring your blood sugar with a blood glucose meter can help you maintain healthy glucose levels and avoid complications. If you have diabetes, consult a health care provider about the glucose meter readings that are ideal for you. Video of the Day If you don't have diabetes, your blood glucose meter readings should be between 70 to 100 mg/dL at all times. Your fasting blood glucose, measured after 8 hours without food, should be less than 100 mg/dL. A glucose level below 70 indicates hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. If your fasting blood glucose level is between 100 to 125 mg/dL, you may have impaired fasting glucose, also called prediabetes. Levels above 126 mg/dL indicate diabetes. Those with diabetes should aim for a fasting blood glucose level of between 70 to 130 mg/dL and less than 180 mg/dL after a meal, advise experts from the American Diabetes Association. The above ranges refer to readings on plasma calibrated meters. Infants and Children Normal, non-diabetic fasting blood glucose ranges are the same as for adults. In children with diabetes, fasting blood glucose levels may be somewhat higher. For children younger than 5 years old, 80 to 200 mg/dL is an acceptable range, note child health experts from Boys Town Pediatrics. From ages 5 to 11, these levels should be 70 to 180 mg/dL and for children ages 12 and older, levels should be 70 to 150 mg/dL. Glucose is the source of energy for all systems in the body; without sufficient glucose, the body and brain can't function normally. Hypoglycemia can cause rapid heartbeat, trembling and dizziness, and severe cases may 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 >>

Blood Glucose Monitors: What Factors Affect Accuracy?

Sometimes my blood glucose monitor seems to give incorrect readings. What can I do to make sure the measurement is accurate? Answers from M. Regina Castro, M.D. When used correctly, blood glucose monitors — small devices that measure and display your blood sugar level — are usually accurate. But occasionally they may be incorrect. Consider these factors that affect meter accuracy and the steps to resolve or prevent the problem: Factors that affect accuracy Solutions Test strip problems Throw out damaged or outdated test strips. Store strips in their sealed container; keep them away from heat, moisture and humidity. Be sure the strips are meant for your specific glucose meter. Extreme temperatures Keep your glucose meter and test strips at room temperature. Alcohol, dirt or other substances on your skin Wash and dry your hands and the testing site thoroughly before pricking your skin. Improper coding Some meters must be coded to each container of test strips. Be sure the code number in the device matches the code number on the test strip container. Monitor problems Fully insert the test strip into the monitor. Replace the monitor batteries as needed. Not enough blood applied to the test strip Touch a generous drop of blood to the test strip. Don't add more blood to the test strip after the first drop is applied. Testing site location If you're using a site other than your fingertip and you think the reading is wrong, test again using blood from a fingertip. Blood samples from alternate sites aren't as accurate as fingertip samples when your blood sugar level is rising or falling quickly. The amount of red blood cells in your blood If you are dehydrated or your red blood cell count is low (anemia), your test results may be less accurate. Blood glucose monitor quality Continue reading >>

Why There Is Difference Between Laboratory Sugar Reading And Glucometer Reading?

Many of the times patients do compare glucometer and laboratory sugar readings. They feel that their glucometers are not accurate. In a glucometer, the capillary blood is used to test the glucose levels, whereas, in the lab, a venous blood sample is used. Due to this, there is always a difference such that the venous plasma glucose may be approximately 20-30% Why there is a difference between laboratory sugar reading and glucometer reading? Many of the times patients do compare glucometer and laboratory sugar readings. They feel that their glucometers are not accurate. In a glucometer, the capillary blood is used to test the glucose levels, whereas, in the lab, a venous blood sample is used. Due to this, there is always a difference such that the venous plasma glucose may be approximately 20-30% lower than capillary glucose. This is because glucose will be highest in arteries, little lower in capillaries and lowest in veins. Also, there is a difference in the readings because laboratory testing is done using plasma samples, whereas, glucometer uses whole blood sample for glucose testing. Therefore, in order to know the difference, it is always better to carry your glucometer to the laboratory. First, test the glucose levels on the glucometer and then give the sample for laboratory testing. Never use the sample collected by the laboratory to test it on the glucometer. It's not until, 4-5 hours after eating that the venous and capillary glucose are roughly the same. That Is why fasting blood surgery samples are preferred for comparison purposes. It is always better to compare your blood glucose levels on the same glucometer as two different glucometers may have a difference in accuracy levels and the way it works . This is Copyright Content by Gadge's Diabetes Care Edited Continue reading >>

Top 10 Popular Blood Glucose Meters Put To The Test

With countless blood glucose meters on the market, how do you know which one to choose? Do you choose the most expensive one; it must work the best if it costs the most, right? Or are you a techie looking for a Bluetooth meter that syncs to your smartphone? Perhaps, you’re concerned with the cost and you’re looking for the most affordable meter. Top 10 Glucose Meters We’ve taken the time to test the ten most popular blood glucose meters. Take a look to find the meter that’s the best fit for you. Winner and our favorite meter is One Touch Ultra 2. OneTouch Ultra 2 Accu-Chek Aviva Connect Walmart ReliON Confirm OneTouch Verio Abbott FreeStyle Lite Walgreens True2Go Contour Next EZ Livongo Health In Touch Meter Nova Max Plus Sanofi iBGStar Our Pick After a careful review of the top glucose meters on the market, our #1 recommendation is the One Touch Ultra 2. It’s simply one of the best in terms of functionality and price. Click here to learn more. (Helpful Tip: Although you can get one from your local pharmacy, you’ll find it cheaper on Amazon. Click here to get yours.) Accu-Chek Aviva Connect The Accu-Chek Aviva Connect gets its name from the Bluetooth connection that syncs to the user’s smartphone. The Connect utilizes an app to keep track of both short-term and long-term readings on a person’s smartphone. The user can also view their trends via bar graphs and maps on the app. The Accu-Chek Aviva Connect will cost you $29.99 and $1.75 for a single test strip. One con to this meter is that the test strips are one of the highest priced strips on the market. However, they are readily available in almost all drug stores and pharmacies. Accu-Chek also offers a supplemental program called Preferred Savings which can reduce most test-strip co-pays to $15-$45. Ot 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 >>

Glucometers Faq: What They Are And How They Work

Glucometers FAQ: What They Are and How They Work Page 1:Glucometers FAQs - General Questions Dignifyed is an online resource devoted to reviewing technology and services aimed at preserving seniors' independence and quality of life. How many hours of hands-on testing and research did you perform for this review? We spent over 80 hours researching the best glucometers on the market. We started with 30 models and narrowed down our choices to the best 10 glucometers to do our hands-on evaluations and reviews. Because of the level of testing that would have been required and given that glucometers must meet specific FDA regulations for accuracy we did not test the accuracy of the glucometers we reviewed. Instead, we researched glucometers and evaluated them based on their design, features, cost and ease of use. You can read more about our evaluation and research process here . Glucometers provide readings by detecting the level of glucose in a person's blood. To get a reading, a person pricks the skin most commonly, a finger and applies the blood sample gained to a test strip inserted in the meter. The glucose in the blood reacts with the chemicals in the strip. Then, electrical currents pass through, determining the level of glucose in the sample and providing numerical results within seconds. Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose (SMBG) Meters: These are the most basic and typical meters that utilize test strips and small blood samples. Meters and test strips are available over the counter in stores and online. Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs): This type of monitoring requires a sensor to be implanted under the skin to take readings every few minutes throughout the day and night. They require approval from and implantation by your medical doctor. Noninvasive Glucometers: These Continue reading >>

Blood Sugar Monitoring

What Do the Numbers Tell You? “I must admit that I stopped checking my blood sugar,” Dave said. “I used to stick myself and write the numbers in a book, but I had no idea what they meant. I’d eat the same thing and get different numbers. Finally, I just gave up.” Sound familiar? Many people dutifully check their blood glucose levels but have no idea what the numbers mean. Part of the problem is that blood glucose levels constantly fluctuate and are influenced by many factors. The other part of the problem is that no two people are alike. A blood glucose reading of 158 mg/dl in two different people might have two different explanations. Most people know that their bodies need glucose to fuel their activities and that certain foods or large quantities of almost any food will raise blood glucose. That’s the easy part. But just as cars require a complicated system of fuel pumps, ignition timing, batteries, pistons, and a zillion other things to convert gasoline into motion, our bodies rely on an intricate system to convert glucose into energy. Back to basics Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps regulate the way the body uses glucose. Its main job is to allow glucose in the blood to enter cells of the body where it can be used for energy. In people who don’t have diabetes, the pancreas changes how much insulin it releases depending on blood glucose levels. Eating a chocolate bar? The pancreas releases more insulin. Sleeping? The pancreas releases less insulin until the wee hours of the morning when the hormones secreted in the early morning naturally increase insulin resistance, so the pancreas needs to release a little more. Insulin also controls how much glucose is produced and released from the liver. Glucose is stored in the liver in a f Continue reading >>

Need Help About Glucometer Reading

This morning i took my fasting sugar at 7.15 am with my Accu- Chek Advantage III meter , the reading was 6.3 mmol/L but when i went to my physician at 8 am my fasting sugar was 5.5 mmol/L ( taken with Ascentia glucometer) . I was quite confused , which reading should i believe? Is it true that Accu-chek allow a higher range cos when i see their chart, it is stated that from 4 mmol/L up to 7 mmol/L is still ideal reading ? Hope any forum member who are using these glucometer can help me with these confusing readings. it is likely that both readings are correct and you just had a bit of a drop on your way to the doc. I use Accu-chek meters and I find them very good. 4 to 7 is normal but it is best to be mid range. I am happy when I see 5.7ish. You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty. Thanks for your reply, I don't dare to tell my chinese physician that i have my own meter . He is very happy with my bg reading so he had decided to put me off the chinese medication for a week to see whether my pancreas can work well by itself or not without the medication which I have been taking since 15th Dec 2006 ( the day i was diagnosed as diabetes type 2) . I just feel funny why is there a big range of 0.8 mmol/L between the 2 meters. This is the second time I am using Accu-Chek meter since i just got it 4 days ago. I am very new to the meter. Is 7mmol/L on Accu-Chek really ideal reading? I ask this because if it is the government Hospital here with a reading of 6.5 mmol/L the doctors and the nurses will put us all on "red alert" already. There might be a probability that i was stressed when i use my meter cos I am very new to it . That is why when i drove to the physician's clinic i try hard to Continue reading >>

Blood Glucose Readings: What They Mean

Source: Web exclusive: June 2011 When you have diabetes, perhaps the most important thing you need to know is the level of your blood glucose, also known as your blood sugar. Since many factors can raise or lower your blood glucose, you may have to check it several times a day. But once you obtain a blood glucose reading, what exactly does it mean? Crunch those numbers When you test a drop of your blood with a glucose meter, the big number that pops onto the screen refers to the number of millimoles (mmol) of glucose per litre (L) of your blood. A millimole (mmol) is one-thousandth of a mole, which is a standard unit for measuring the mass of molecules. And if that’s not already confusing enough, the United States uses a completely different system than Canadians for measuring blood glucose. South of the border, blood glucose is measured in milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL). This can sometimes be rather bewildering, especially if you’re brand new to diabetes and researching your disease on the Internet. “I tell people to go to a Canadian site first,” says Tabitha Palmer, a certified diabetes educator at the Centre for Clinical Research in Halifax. Know your targets So what numbers should you be looking for? Your target reading before meals should be between 4 and 7. Your blood sugar normally spikes two hours after a meal, so between 5 and 10 is a good range after you eat. Besides food, other factors that can cause your blood sugar to go up or down include exercise, illness, medications and stress. Your blood glucose readings are hands-down the best way to monitor whether or not your diabetes is generally well managed. "They really help the physicians and educators if we’re trying to look at whether you need to have your medication, insulin or mealtime adjusted, Continue reading >>

How To Read A Glucose Meter

By Chris Sherwood ; Updated July 27, 2017 What Is the Normal Range for a Morning Glucose Level? A glucose meter is a quick way for a person suffering from diabetes to monitor her blood sugar levels. This allows the individual to protect herself from the health dangers associated with blood sugar levels either rising too high or dropping to dangerously low levels. Wash your hands. Before taking a glucose test you should always thoroughly wash your hands. Even the smallest amount of food or other substance on your hand can give you a false reading. Take the test. To do this, take a small sample of blood using the provided lancet. Drop the sample on the testing strip, and then place the testing strip into the reader. Read the results when taking before a meal. The test results should be displayed in large numbers on the front of your meter. According to the American Diabetes Association, when taking the test before a meal, the blood glucose number should be between 70 to 130 mg/dl (5 to 7 mmol/l). If you get a reading that is higher or lower than this range, you will need to take appropriate action with either insulin or eating a meal. Read the results when taking after a meal. Since food affects your blood sugar levels, taking a test after a meal will result in a higher number being displayed on the meter. According to the American Diabetes Association, when using a glucose meter after a meal, your blood glucose levels should be less than 180 mg/dl (10 mmol/l). Dispose of the testing strip. Once you have read the glucose reading, record the number in your testing journal, and throw away the testing strip. When placing your blood sample onto the testing strip, do not squeeze your finger. Let the blood naturally flow out. Squeezing in some cases may affect the glucose mete Continue reading >>

Glucometer

Adaptations to the Blood Glucose Meter Despite the controversy around the use of glucometers for diabetes management beyond that of insulin-treated patients, a large and growing industry has developed around the use of mobile technology for glycemic control. Many of these technologies transform the mobile platform into what would otherwise be a traditional glucometer, typically through the (physical or wireless) connection of an external hardware unit used to perform blood analysis. For example, the iBGStar® glucometer (AgaMatrix, Salem, NH; Sanofi-Aventis, Frankfurt, Germany) consists of a small hardware unit (for blood analysis) that plugs into the data port of an Apple iPhone® or iPod Touch®, automatically synching the blood glucose measurements (along with insulin and carbohydrate information) via the iBGStar Diabetes Manager software app for longitudinal tracking and review by the patient and healthcare provider. Several studies have evaluated the accuracy and performance of iBGStar in comparison with numerous traditional glucometers, finding close correlation between glucose measurements [5], no clinically relevant interference from hematocrit at high or low glucose concentrations [66], and <5% variation in inter- and intra-assay precision analyses [67]. These studies suggest that mobile-based glucometer solutions can achieve performance characteristics similar to those of traditional devices. While iBGStar and other similar technologies transform mobile platforms into traditional glucometers, other innovative approaches are under development, typically involving noninvasive means to measure glucose. For example, one approach uses chemical sensors in a contact lens to measure glucose concentration in tear fluid as a surrogate for blood glucose concentration [68 Continue reading >>

Different Reading By Blood Glucose Meter

Diabetes Forum The Global Diabetes Community Find support, ask questions and share your experiences. Join the community I'm sure people in this forum might have seen this before. I am using SD codefree blood glucose meter for my measurements. What I found is this meter is giving me two different results just with in a span of less than 1 minute. Is it correct or do I need to change it? First it gave 6.3 morning fasting measurement then after 10 seconds when I retested it showed 6.1. Your meter will give slightly different results if yountest three times in a row or whatever. Don't worry about it as long as the figures are all in the same bal-park and not wildly different. My Codefree gave me 7.3 on my left hand and 5.1 on my right hand yesterday pre-meal! My Codefree gave me 7.3 on my left hand and 5.1 on my right hand yesterday pre-meal! It's a snapshot not an exact measurement. You'll get different measurements from different fingers and from the same finger testing twice. I do not think you need to replace your meter. There are so many variables it is difficult to know where to start. I have done quite a lot of testing and reading and used test solutions and I have even done 10 tests one after the other. It is frustrating at times. There is absolutely nothing wrong with a 6.3 and a 6.1. ,2mmol is just an error rate that is perfectly acceptable. These are the things that I found impacted me:- The strip - you only have so long it should be exposed to air for. And then - meters have to be within 15% accurate 90% of the time. I think the best advice I could give if you want to test twice is to test with the same finger - same stab - first and second drop. The second drop should be more accurate than the first. Our blood rushes round our bodies at lightening speed. What Continue reading >>

High? What Your Glucose Meter May Know, But Isn't Sharing

Your glucose meter might be keeping secrets from you. If and when you see a message on the screen alerting you to a "High" blood sugar, the meter probably knows more than it's telling you, as in the exact numerical value associated with that warning. But the device makers decided that we don't need that information... This came to light (in our brains, at least) following the March 25 announcement that almost two million LifeScan OneTouch VerioIQ meters were being recalled across the globe. LifeScan issued warnings on three brands of its OneTouch meters, totaling over 1.8 million meters worldwide! About 90,000 of its popular VerioIQ meters here in the U.S., part of the 1.2 million of those meters sold globally, and two brands sold outside the States: the OneTouch® Verio®Pro consumer meter and VerioPro+ professional meter. The reason for the recall? The meter software isn't properly registering extremely high blood sugars. At a certain point the meter shuts down with no warning and without alerting you to the hyperglycemic danger. The number you have to reach for this to happen: 1024 mg/dL (or 56.8 mmol to those outside the U.S.)! Geez, the number 1024 is oddly specific... Like many meters, LifeScan's units only show a numerical value for anything between 20-600, while anything outside that range just displays an "Extreme Low Glucose (below 20 mg/dL)" or "Extreme High Glucose (above 600 mg/dL)" message. So, who would have thought the meter actually knows when you've tipped past 1023? Maybe our meters are smarter than we give them credit for, despite the fact that they're sometimes a bit off thanks to that pesky +/-20% accuracy standard that we don't think is good enough. Why No Numbers? LifeScan confirmed our suspicions: Yes, their meters can track your blood sugar's n Continue reading >>