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Home HBA1C monitoring - A1CNow+

Not sure if they have improved since Jenny Ruhl wrote this blogpost in 2010? She doesn't rate them at all.

http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com.au/2010/01/study-a1c-now-test-is-****-and-so-are.html
 
Indy51 said:
Not sure if they have improved since Jenny Ruhl wrote this blogpost in 2010? She doesn't rate them at all.

http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com.au/2010/01/study-a1c-now-test-is-****-and-so-are.html
Click to expand...
Thanks for that.
 
I used two, back in April.
Ordered of eBay from the States.
Turned out they only had a months use by date, so used one, then 4 weeks later, the other.
Ironically the first test was 2 days before the doctors gave me an unexpected hba1c (they had always refused, previously).

My first test was 46.
The lab test 2 days later was 48 (used in my sig) = 6.5% in old money
4 weeks later my second test was 45.

I have just ordered two more, and will happily trust the results (allowing for a reasonable margin for error)
 
Do you have a link to the eBay auction, please? If you feel it goes again forum roooooolz, you could send me a private message?

I'm currently told if my next A1c is good I'll be moved onto annual testing. All things being equal, l will try to negotiate, but always like a Plan B in place.
 
AndBreathe said:
Do you have a link to the eBay auction, please? If you feel it goes again forum roooooolz, you could send me a private message?

I'm currently told if my next A1c is good I'll be moved onto annual testing. All things being equal, l will try to negotiate, but always like a Plan B in place.
Click to expand...

I'm sure it doesn't contravene any rules if I tell you I did a search for 'A1cnow'. Alloneword. :)

Just make sure you check the use by date!

It is more expensive per unit than the bulk order mentioned by someone above, but then, smaller orders always are...
 
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Brunneria said:
I'm sure it doesn't contravene any rules if I tell you I did a search for 'A1cnow'. Alloneword. :)

Just make sure you check the use by date!

It is more expensive than the bulk order mentioned by someone above, but then, smaller orders always are...
Click to expand...
I'm not getting anything up using that, but I'll trawl some more.
 
Indy51 said:
Not sure if they have improved since Jenny Ruhl wrote this blogpost in 2010? She doesn't rate them at all.

http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com.au/2010/01/study-a1c-now-test-is-****-and-so-are.html
Click to expand...
Well I think this is why Bayer discontinued them and then sold off the unit or the licence to another group. That group I think includes the original designers and they say they have addressed the issues and now relaunched the product.

Having said that when I used them in the past they were a very good match for lab HbA1c values, as long as you properly follow the somewhat complicated instructions.

Miraculously sent via Diabetes Forum App. Probably on the 4th or 5th try :-/
 
I have received the kit yesterday and am reading up all the blurb at the moment. The tests need to be kept refrigerated (2 - 8 C) to last to the expiry date, which at 14/07/15 is almost exactly 12 months, so I guess that I will be able to do 1 a month. They can be kept out of the fridge (18 - 28 C) for up to 4 months prior to use after which they would have to be thrown away.
I will try a test at the weekend and let you know what I get. There is lots of data about accuracy, saying that for the fingerprick test (which I will do) is 99% accurate which sounds good! but then the accuracy of a single test could be as much as -1.0% or +0.8% which sounds like a huge variation. " This represents the 95% confidence limits of a Bland-Altman plot" not that this means much to me!
My last HbA1C was 37 (5.5%) so if my level remains much the same I could get between 4.5% and 6.3% but maybe it will be better at showing trends rather than outright levels. Next time I have a "real" reading taken I will do one of these on the same day to compare.
 
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2769787/

A very quick skim suggests that the A1CNow+ kits are accurate within a 7-8.5% range. [correction, this was the limits of their correlation based on ADA guidelines for control, does not necessarily say anything about other results]

So for me less accurate, but still looks close enough to be a valuable interim indicator of overall progress.

Will read on for any detail
 
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Well,I I did the test last night, a bit more complicated than taking a BG reading, but really very easy. Take a finger prick blood sample into the sampler provided, click it into the solution mixer and give it a quick shake. Insert the cartridge into the meter, wait until it is ready and put the solution mixer on the slot, push down then remove. The meter then counts down from 5 minutes and gives the result. 5.1% (32 in new money) for me - I'm well pleased! Although I know that it could be +/- about 1.0% in the worst case. I will now repeat on a monthly basis to keep track of movements up or down. I also intend to test the OH for a non-diabetic reading.

Maxwell
 
Silver Hammer said:
Well,I I did the test last night, a bit more complicated than taking a BG reading, but really very easy. Take a finger prick blood sample into the sampler provided, click it into the solution mixer and give it a quick shake. Insert the cartridge into the meter, wait until it is ready and put the solution mixer on the slot, push down then remove. The meter then counts down from 5 minutes and gives the result. 5.1% (32 in new money) for me - I'm well pleased! Although I know that it could be +/- about 1.0% in the worst case. I will now repeat on a monthly basis to keep track of movements up or down. I also intend to test the OH for a non-diabetic reading.

Maxwell
Click to expand...

Thanks. That's all very interesting. I'll give it a whirl, I reckon.
 
Further information on the accuracy of this home testing kit. I tested the Mrs and she measured 5.9% which is 41, so top of normal range. We are going to work on getting it down. Exactly 1 week later she had a proper test via the health centre and it came back as 40, which I think is an excellent correlation between the official test and the home test. Perhaps it is normally more accurate than they say.

Maxwell
 
My tests arrived.
I read the instructions, followed them - got a failed test. :sour:
Did the other test - exactly the same way - got a 'insufficient blood sample used. :mad::mad::mad:

Silly me!!!
When I reread the instructions I had missed one crucial step - twice!
I should have shaken the sample very briefly just before adding it to the monitor.

What a waste... I was sooo looking forward to basking in my new, shiny, lower Hba1c.

So now I have to wait for another order to arrive.

No reflection at all on the test.
Massive reflection on my inability to follow simple instructions! :banghead:
 
So, it was you who bought the last one on Amazon?!?

Have you had a third go yet?
 
Tried to find a way to buy one but no luck so far through official channels/pharmacies etc (I mean not eBay)
 
Mojo
Try Miller Medical Supplies, and search their site for hba1c test and it will come up. 10 tests for £115 + VAT.
Maxwell
 
Thanks for that, I am very tempted as it is a few months to my next consultant visit. But the fridge door hinge gave way, so I may need a new fridge first.
11.00 for one sounds great, but having to splash for 10 is less convincing unless you plan to do 1/month as you say.
 
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