3 DIFFERENT READINGS 3 DIFFERENT METERS 1 BLOOD SAMPLE

[Alexandra100]

There are constant quality checks and checks of accuracy through independent research and medical standards organisations. Not all of it public but you can see which companies have been fined etc for failing to meet standards.

That's very interesting! Could you post a link, I'd love to check up on the companies' records.

 

[Alison Campbell]

Could you post a link

Sorry there is no centralised list but the infomation is out there for instance I found this among other artcles about my current meter on google scholar
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1932296817691301#

General info on what is out there
https://www.diabetestechnology.org/surveillance.shtml
http://sites.bu.edu/bionicpancreas/...rs-Ekhlaspour-J-Diabetes-Sci-Technol-2016.pdf

 

[Bluetit1802]

A couple of other comparison tests

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5588599/

http://integrateddiabetes.com/2016-blood-glucose-meter-comparisons/

 

[achike]

They are never the same calibration because of different manufacturers. Therefore +2 or -2 reading is acceptable.

Sent from my E6683 using DCUK Forum mobile app

 

[steveis36]

I too have 3 meters and only 1 reads different than others.
I just use 1 now any way

 

[simsussex_]

I had a contour next one which I was reasonably happy with though it doesn’t sync with Apple health. The strips are expensive, though, so ai bought an ihealth meter. I have tested both and found wild differences - from 3.9 to 5.3 on the same blood!

 

[davidjb]

I have been using a freestyle optium neo since dx. This week I received a free TEE2 i also bought a cholesterol testing kit which doubles up as glucose monitor. So this morning after my breakfast I tested one blood sample in each monitor. 3 different readings. The lowest being my original meter. So I'm sticking with this. 7.2 after 2 hours .. .after a.... bacon.... toastie!!! Extra thick slice too!!! I know I know....i had a weak moment as never touch bread. The TEE2 read 8.3 and easylife was 7.8.

How can they vary so much!!!

I use an Accu-check Aviva and the other day I had a reading 2 hours after breakfast of 11.7 which was a LOT higher than expected so I did another test (less than a minute later) which was 7.5. I know these things aren't 100% accurate but this amount of difference is ridiculous. Someone suggested taking the average of 3 readings but if I did that every time I tested I would be using about 15 test strips a week, which is an amount I can't afford. These amounts of inaccuracy make the testing as useful as a chocolate fireguard.

 

[Paul520785]

This is a brilliant article. Very Helpful and confirms my research findings
I am T1 and have been for over 60 Years.
A while ago the meter specifications were changed which prompted the manufacturer of the meter I had been using to withdraw the meters by stopping the production of test strips.
I decided to get a sample meter from as many different manufacturers as I could.
After using 2 or 3 meters for a few days to do comparisons from the same drop of blood I was amazed at the continued variation in results. The upgrade suggested by my usual provider read between 2 and 3 units higher. The manufacturer explanation was that the new meter was working to a "tighter variation specification as required by the change in Legislation". I was just about to say - and I walk on water!
So my comment is find a meter that you are willing to use and stick with it to learn the limitations and variations by remembering how you feel.
Never just trust the result if it feels wrong.

 

[Alexandra100]

These amounts of inaccuracy make the testing as useful as a chocolate fireguard.

I agree, it's terribly frustrating. However, in my experience, I get a rogue reading such as you describe less than once a day - maybe twice a week. I have a Codefree and a TEE2, using the Codefree as my first meter because buying in bulk the strips work out a lot cheaper. When I get a surprisingly high reading I first experience a nasty jolt, and then reach for my TEE2. If it shows a similar high reading, I accept it, but if the TEE2 reading is much lower, I either mentally discard that test altogether or go back to the Codefree for a third try. If I were trying to decide whether I could safely eat a certain food, I would need to see at least 3 good readings on different occasions before deciding that it was really alright. But actually, because I am allowing myself less than 20g carbs a day, experimenting with borderline foods isn't appropriate for me.

IMO one of the uses of the A1c test is to cross check the results of home testing.

 

[Alexandra100]

A couple of other comparison tests

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5588599/

http://integrateddiabetes.com/2016-blood-glucose-meter-comparisons/

Very interesting! I'm glad to see from the first link that my Codefree comes out very well. You, Bluetit, will be pleased to see that your Accuchek comes near the top of the list from the second link for accuracy. However, according to Dr B, meters often don't maintain the same level of accuracy for very long.

 

[Glucobabu]

Yes, agreed, and some of this is down to human error in addition to wonky strips. Some brands of strips are not at all user friendly and require manhandling to get them out of the tub, or out of the foil. By which time they can be corrupted. In a conversation I had once with Mr. Home Health (Codefree) he told me how horrified he is at some customers when he discovers they decant the strips into a different container. The tubs are specially designed to be as safe as possible as regards humidity etc. (which is why it is essential to snap the lid closed immediately after use). For this reason I love my Accu Chek Mobile and its fully enclosed cartridges that require no handling at all.

Lucky for you. My GP practice refuses to prescribe any well known brands like Accu Check. Only the cheapest unknown rubbish!

 

[Alexandra100]

Lucky for you. My GP practice refuses to prescribe any well known brands like Accu Check. Only the cheapest unknown rubbish!

Like me and most T2s, Bluetit has to pay for her own meters and strips. The Accuchek strips are more expensive than those for the Codefree and TEE2, but possibly more accurate.

 

[Glucobabu]

Like me and most T2s, Bluetit has to pay for her own meters and strips. The Accuchek strips are more expensive than those for the Codefree and TEE2, but possibly more accurate.

Being a Type 1 pensioner and someone who has to test 6/7 times a day I would find the cost of paying myself prohibitive, however I think most meter manufacturers are only too happy to give away their meters free because they make their money from their ridiculously overpriced strips!

 

[Alexandra100]

Being a Type 1 pensioner and someone who has to test 6/7 times a day I would find the cost of paying myself prohibitive, however I think most meter manufacturers are only too happy to give away their meters free because they make their money from their ridiculously overpriced strips!

Indeed! But with the new prospect of continuous glucose monitoring by patch or wristband, perhaps we shall see the ground cut from under the feet of these profiteers!

 

[Bluetit1802]

Lucky for you. My GP practice refuses to prescribe any well known brands like Accu Check. Only the cheapest unknown rubbish!

As a Type 2 I don't even get prescribed the cheap rubbish ones. I have to self fund like most other T2s, and I pay for my own Accu Chek Mobile cassettes. I'm also a pensioner, and I also test several times a day, but the cost is worth it for my health.

 

[millenium]

I use a cheap but reputable in china brand meter. It is very consistent and i occasionally test it on healthy family members without giving weird readings. The strip cost usd0.2 a piece.

 

[Gates]

I have been using a freestyle optium neo since dx. This week I received a free TEE2 i also bought a cholesterol testing kit which doubles up as glucose monitor. So this morning after my breakfast I tested one blood sample in each monitor. 3 different readings. The lowest being my original meter. So I'm sticking with this. 7.2 after 2 hours .. .after a.... bacon.... toastie!!! Extra thick slice too!!! I know I know....i had a weak moment as never touch bread. The TEE2 read 8.3 and easylife was 7.8.

How can they vary so much!!!

Hello each, I went through this a couple of years ago as I found that all meter's have imperfect readings from 5% upwards. I was with a specialist dietician at the time. So I got hold of 5 meters in all, including my original from Nipro Dignostics. Tested them all, my original came out most reliable after a week of testing. However, I found out that even the same brand can vary from machine to machine. Although one would hope there have been improvements for these machines to be more accurate.

 

[stevetur]

I have been using a freestyle optium neo since dx. This week I received a free TEE2 i also bought a cholesterol testing kit which doubles up as glucose monitor. So this morning after my breakfast I tested one blood sample in each monitor. 3 different readings. The lowest being my original meter. So I'm sticking with this. 7.2 after 2 hours .. .after a.... bacon.... toastie!!! Extra thick slice too!!! I know I know....i had a weak moment as never touch bread. The TEE2 read 8.3 and easylife was 7.8.

How can they vary so much!!!

 

[stevetur]

Even if you'd tested the same sample 3 times in the SAME meter, the readings could have varied just as much or even more. Though some meters are also known to be, on average, higher or lower than others. To make things even more confusing, some meters differ more from others when the true value is low or high.

A modern meter should be accurate to 15%. When small differences matter, that's a lot of inaccuracy. The only way to be absolutely sure of what your true level is, is to take several readings and average.

E.g. If your true level was 7.2, you could easily get an 8.3 on a modern meter.

Things get even worse when measuring before-and-after-food. If your before reading is much higher than 'truth', and your after reading is much lower than 'truth', you could think you've eaten a safe food, but it's actually not safe at all.

I have had lots of problems with the Nexus meters shown. (they are the only ones my GP will supply strips for!} my original one gave readings of 26mmol on every test.(scary) 1 replacement caught fire in my pocket, two others just died, the manufacturer replaced them with the nexus usb mini, and I now test with both of these every time, and the tests are always within 0.3 of each other, both meters are eqally variable, so I take the average of the two.

 

[Bluetit1802]

replacement caught fire in my pocket,

Blimey!