How Reliable Are Blood Glucose Monitors?

From: eDiets.com, Inc (Click on title) Dear eDiets: I have two different blood-glucose monitors, one for home use and one I keep at work. Out of curiosity, I used the same drop of blood and tested my blood glucose on both monitors at the same time. One read 132 mg/dl and the other read 109. How can such a difference exist? -- Name withheld Blood-glucose monitors are a little like scales, you might step on three different ones, and get three different readings. Although blood-glucose monitors are FDA approved medical devices, differences do exist and no monitors can read with 100-percent accuracy all the time. To determine if your meter is accurate, start by placing a drop of the manufacturer’s control solution onto a test strip. Compare the results to the recommended ranges listed on the bottle or box of test strips. If the result is not within the recommended ranges, call the toll-free phone number on the back of your meter. A second option is to take your meter along with your for your next laboratory fasting blood test. As soon as blood is drawn from the arm, do a finger-stick and record the results. There should be no more than a 15-percent difference between your finger-stick results and the lab results. Christine Miller is a Registered and Licensed dietitian, as well as a Certified Diabetes Educator. Christine moderates the Living with Diabetes support group at eDiets.com and conducts live monthly online meetings for people with diabetes. Christine received her Masters Degree in Nutrition from Texas Woman's University in 1991. Soon after, Christine became a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and began providing education and counseling on all aspects of diabetes care including nutrition, blood glucose monitoring, medications, exercise and stress management. In addition to her responsibilities at eDiets, Christine also maintains a private practice in Tampa, Florida. Do you have a question for Christine? If so, drop her a line at DearDiabetesExpert@ediets.com. Christine will answer one question per issue. Because of the expected volume of queries, she will not be able to provide personal answers other than those appearing in this weekly feature.