Blood Monitors Compared

dlewins

Newbie
Messages
3
Re: Diabetes.co.uk Toolbar Launched!!!

I have IE on my mac and the blurb on the toolbar says that it works on the mac o/s. The download is, however not compatible - it is an .exe file. Is there a mac version or is the blurb wrong?

Doug
 

sugarless sue

Master
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Rude people! Not being able to do the things I want to do.
Re: Diabetes.co.uk Toolbar Launched!!!

Still waiting for the Firefox compatible one!! :(
 

broads

Well-Known Member
Messages
321
Re: Diabetes.co.uk Toolbar Launched!!!

Gee whiz. Great. Glad I didn't go to bed as I intended ages ago. Thanks Guys and Gals
 

cugila

Master
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Re: Diabetes.co.uk Toolbar Launched!!!

What a great idea. Makes moving around the site so much easier. Every thing you need to know is at your fingertips.
Thanks
Ken
 

diabolic

Newbie
Messages
3
I have been using the Optium Xceed blood glucose monitor for some years. I recently had cause to doubt the accuracy of my meter so I borrowed the exact same model from a fellow diabetic and ran some tests.
Both meters were calibrated with the same calibration strip and I took blood samples for both meters from the same test site. I tested both meters with Hi and Lo control solutions and they were both
well within tolerance.
The results I obtained from these tests which were carried out over many different days over a long period of time were quite alarming as the results varied by between 1% and very often over 20%.
I thought that this might be a result of careless blood sampling on my part so I took great care to eliminate any errors on my part but I still got the same variation of results.
A difference of 1% is probably acceptable but 20% is not and on occasion the difference has been even higher.
I would be interested to here if anyone else has experienced similar problems.
 

shellyj

Active Member
Messages
29
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Diet only
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drugs,achool,smoking,
I use the bayer contour and I love it it small easy to use and the poutch comes in a few colors I just wish it came in more colors thanks shelly
 

cugila

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I wouldn't be concerned about any of those readings. The variations are minimal.

Individual meters each have different characteristics so variations are to be expected. There are also the variables such as humidity, temperature and other factors to consider.

Providing your meter when tested using the control solutions gives the correct results and is within tolerance - I would say there is no cause for concern. :D

Ken
 

farmerfudge

Well-Known Member
Messages
80
True the variations are minimal, it just makes me laugh. They're self calibrating too :D

:idea: On a different note I have a dream that someone will create a monitor that comes as a mobile phone or that you can plug a test strip into your mobile phone etc so that it's one less thing to carry around. Also, you know that some phones can read barcodes these days? It would be good if someone can produce a phone app that allows you to scan in the barcode of food, look it up and give you the carb value per portion.
 
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cugila

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farmerfudge. said:

Also, you know that some phones can read barcodes these days? It would be good if someone can produce a phone app that allows you to scan in the barcode of food, look it up and give you the carb value per portion.

Hi fudge.
I would also be interested in that sort of gadget. Probably be too expensive to produce ? Gadget man here :lol:

See you mentioned carb value as well - which brings me to something I forgot to ask previously. Are those readings normal for you ? They seem on the high side to me - but not sure when you took them ?

Ken
 

farmerfudge

Well-Known Member
Messages
80
Unfortunalty those readings are fairly normal for me :oops: . My sugars have been AWFUL since diagnosis 3 years ago. I've been looking at this site for the past couple of months and actively started looking at bringing them down. Have decided a balance between DAFNE ideas and reducing carbs (not completly) maybe the way forward for me. My readings were in the mid to low teens generally before that now they're around 10-ish, so getting there v.slowly.

As for the app idea. I used to be a developer but dont know too much about phone apps. Think it would be easy to produce a 'diabetic app' for the iPhone (or 3g phone) for instance rather quickly & cheaply, but the hard part would be getting the data sorted out. You'd need a central database that stores the carb data etc by product ID for lookup over the net. Anyway, enough of this techo chat I know it's crashlingly boring:!:

Cheers Ben
 

cugila

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farmerfudge said:
Unfortunalty those readings are fairly normal for me . My sugars have been AWFUL since diagnosis 3 years ago. I've been looking at this site for the past couple of months and actively started looking at bringing them down. Have decided a balance between DAFNE ideas and reducing carbs (not completly) maybe the way forward for me. My readings were in the mid to low teens generally before that now they're around 10-ish, so getting there v.slowly.
unquote.

Hi Ben.
I'm a T2 so can't really tell you what's best. I have no knowledge of the DAFNE course.
I do know that many T1's cover the carbs by increased Insulin. The other alternative is to drastically reduce the carbs - I think you know that ?

I made that decision a couple of months ago after 11 years struggling.
I too had levels like yours and often far above. My levels after 2 months on a low/reduced carb + low fat + Low GI + low salt diet of my own making are now from 4.0 up to a max of 7.5 throughout most days. I know it works for me.
The diet I have is healthy and varied. I can now eat things which were previously a no no for me, all because my levels are much lower.

I see you are in your 30's - I seriously urge you to take the action you need now. Don't leave it till it's too late !

Good luck.

Ken
 

farmerfudge

Well-Known Member
Messages
80
Thanks for the response(s).
I guess I'm too attached to carbs! I look at the low carb diet and it freaks me out a little, although I know they're ultimatly the way forward. Can I ask how you cope with doing anything particularly physical on a low carb routine? I recently tried a week where I took my carbs and halved them. It was initally OK but felt I was on a bit of a knife edge in terms of any unplanned exercise. If I exerted myself, pow I'd be hypo'ing. Think I need to adjust my internal thermostat slowly so that I feel more comfortable at being on the lower BS levels?
 

cugila

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Hi Ben.
I'm 60. Going down the Pub is probably the most excercise I get now. :lol:

I jest a little. :D

My fitness levels are improving all the time - even for an old f**t like me. Prior to the changes I made I was a wreck. It does and will change your life. You just have to take that next step !!
There are people on the forum who are your age and much more energetic than I. I think you will probably get the best answers from some of them.

I wish you well whatever steps you take.

Cheers
Ken
 

Tomripley

Newbie
Messages
1
Hello All,

I am probably a bit of a novice here so sorry if my questions are sounding daft...

I was diagnosed one month ago with HIgh Blood Pressure and my blood sugar levels (1st test fasting: 9.4 MMOL and second one 7.4MMOL) were considered too high particularly for somebody with a lot of relatives (father, grand mother, brother) that were or are diabetics. The results of the tests for the other indicators (cholesterol, the 3 months sugar levels test, I don't remember the name...) etc were all good. I might only be pre-diabetic.

I am under high blood pressure medication (it is under control). I am doing a diet, lost already 4 kilos in a month, exercise more. I am not yet under medication. I am seeing the doctor next week. I hope that we can carry on at the moment without drugs and managed only with diet.

I have bought one meter (Accucheck Aviva Nano) and was given another by the doctor (Ascensia COntour Bayer). When I am checking my blood suger level, I come up with very different results between the two devices which is really confusing.

I usually test 3 to 4 times on the same finger of the left hand each time I am testing, at different sites of the finger usually from the head of the first section of the finger, testing blood with each device at the same site each time. And each time, the difference is important. ANd not only the difference between the two devices, but in particular in the case of the ascensia contour between each readings. The Aviva is far more consistent between each of the readings using it.

FOr instance, this morning, when waking up and fasting :
Ascensia Contour:5.8; 6.6; 5.6; 5 for an average of 5.75 MMOL
Aviva Accucheck Nano: 5.4; 5.6; 5.7; 5.3 average: 5.5 MMOL

In some cases, the difference between each device can be as a high as 1.5 MMOL or more. And in some cases, I am beyond normal ranges with one and inside normal ranges with the other...

I will tend to trust more the Aviva Nano as it is taking a bit more time to display the results while the Contour is very quick and this maybe impacting the results.

Please could you let me know what you think and maybe indicate to me which of the two devices you consider as more reliable objectively ?

Thank you very much for your help.

Tom
 
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Chanah

Member
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19
I had awful results with the Ascensia Contour - and I've tried it again and still have awful results. It seems to read my blood sugar way higher than it ought to be - more than once it hit up to 18 on me, and the usual reading was around 11. Even though my A1c's are pretty consistently in the 5.1 range.

I have an Ultra OneTouch Mini, and while it's not very sophisticated (no software, the strips want coding, and it stores only your last 50 readings), it works a lot better. Just for fun, I pulled out the Contour again today and tried it:

Contour: 8.7
OneTouch: 5.3

Even though that's a low reading by my usual Contour standards, the OneTouch is a lot more accurate. Or my fasting blood sugar has hit a six-year high. I know it hasn't, but when I first got the Contour, it was pretty scary, especially as it was supposed to be all state-of-the-art.

There was also this unexpected side effect: Bayer (who makes the Contour meter) enroled me in some daft diabetes support programme that sends Bayer and Heart Healthy propaganda to your HOUSE. I rang them and told them to delete me from their database, and to ask anyone they'd sold my info to to do the same. I was more than a little irked. After all, the reason I have an A1c average of 5.1 is because I follow one of those 'crazy fad lo-carb diets' they warn people against in their literature and on their web site. Ugh.
 

mullaneder

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Re: Diabetes.co.uk Toolbar Launched!!!

just got the toolbar brilliant thanks :D
 

farmerfudge

Well-Known Member
Messages
80
My wife brought home a new blood glucose monitor from work yesterday, that a mdical rep had given her.

It's called a True One All in one blood glucose meter http://www.glucosemeters4u.com/trueone.htm.

Essentially it's a disposable meter that is attached to the top of a pot of 50 test strips
trueone.JPG

It needs calibrating and came with a test solution. I'm used to not having to calibrate my meter so thought this a bit backward. It was easy to use and I liked the way you could see the blood clearly being sucked into the large test strip. I did a test with it and it came back with a reading of 6.5 . I checked with my other two meters that said my BG was more like 9 & 9.5, so I'm not too trusting of it now! Anyway, I like the idea of a meter on top of the test strip pot, it certainly reduces the size of your kit. I am personally attached to my current meters as they hold hundreds of readings in memory that can be dowloaded onto my PC and analysed.

I would give it a 3 out of 10 (work needed) :D
 

lionrampant

Well-Known Member
Messages
562
I'm still evangelising the AccuCheck Compact Plus. Everything integrated, test strips in a drum, lancing device attached, etc. Just does the job well. No chips, calibrates via barcode on the strip drum.

Could do with more functionality, like 90 day average (as seen in the Nano) but otherwise good.