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How accurate are cheap blood glucose meters?

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ConfusedCraig

Active Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 2
I don't have too much money at the moment, and was thinking of waiting till I see my diabetic nurse to see if I will be given a BG monitor. But I am also wanting to start to measure my blood glucose right away just to get ahead of things (and hopefully stop this breathlessness if it is related to the diabetes).

I am just wondering if BGM are a "get what you pay for" kind of deal where if you don't put out enough you don't get useful results.

If it matters I was thinking of getting these from Boots;
https://www.boots.com/truedraw-lancing-device-10248015 (Lance)
https://www.boots.com/true-metrix-go-blood-glucose-monitoring-system-10248012 (Meter as I don't really need wireless)
 
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If you look at post #4 on this thread
forum.diabetes.org.uk

Useful links for people new to diabetes

These links provide useful information, particularly to those newly-diagnosed. You can also browse the Recommended Books and Links sections for further information :) Contents: Type 1 Section Insulin Pumps Section Type 2 Section General Help and Information Section Complications and screening...
forum.diabetes.org.uk forum.diabetes.org.uk
It recommends the cheapest meters that members have found to be reliable and accurate. You have to bear in mind the cost of the strips as well as the actual meter, as this mounts up over time.
All meters have to conform to the same standards, so price is not necessarily an indication of superior quality in this case.
 
The Spirit Healthcare Tee 2 meter I got seems to be reliable and accurate, and is cheap to use.
 
Robin said:
If you look at post #4 on this thread
forum.diabetes.org.uk

Useful links for people new to diabetes

These links provide useful information, particularly to those newly-diagnosed. You can also browse the Recommended Books and Links sections for further information :) Contents: Type 1 Section Insulin Pumps Section Type 2 Section General Help and Information Section Complications and screening...
forum.diabetes.org.uk forum.diabetes.org.uk
It recommends the cheapest meters that members have found to be reliable and accurate. You have to bear in mind the cost of the strips as well as the actual meter, as this mounts up over time.
All meters have to conform to the same standards, so price is not necessarily an indication of superior quality in this case.
Click to expand...

Didn't even occur to me to check that thread :D
 
Fancy 'Useful Links' being useful ! :D

I however actually agree with your dismissing it without bothering because so very very often, the contents aren't - BUT!!! - these were assembled by real people with real bodies and real diabetes - not 'ruddy experts' LOL
 
All meters have to meet the standard of accuracy of +/- 15%
 
I use the codefree from home health the strips are one of the cheapest and they seem to be fair!y accurate I don't need an all singing and dancing meter ,just one to keep an eye on my BGs
Carol
 
The one that Carol refers to has been replaced by the SD Gluco Navii - and is equally reliable according to the members here that use it.
 
Here is a link to the Gluco Navii
homehealth-uk.com

Diabetes Management Archives

We supply a range of diabetic testing kits to help you with your everyday diabetes management. Suitable for both type 1 & 2 and general diabetes patients. Free UK delivery.
homehealth-uk.com homehealth-uk.com
If you decide to opt for this one, in the uk we use themmol/L measurement and you can claim VAT relief.
 
Hope you get on well with it @ConfusedCraig 🙂

Lower down in the ‘useful links’ thread there is quite a handy table which shows the allowable upper/lower limits from different BGs under the ISO standard.
 
I ended up ordering that Spirit Tee 2. Not that I didn't like the other recommendations just that I looked at it as soon as Drummer replied and since it looked good I ordered it straight away. It arrived today, an hour after my lunch.

So my lunch was 2 scrambled egg with cheese and 2 buttered white bread toasts.

1 hour post blood glucose was 5.9. Pretty lucky it seems like I can eat white bread :D. I might have spoken too soon, 2 hour post it was 7.7. Still normal range though...

------

Also on a related note, anyone know how to convert Hba1c % into mmol/mol? As in the equation? I have a little food diary on a spreadsheet and I am looking to have it track average blood sugars and put those into a HbA1c estimate (I know it won't be accurate). I have found the equation to get it in percent but I don't know percent to mmol/mol.
 
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ConfusedCraig said:
I ended up ordering that Spirit Tee 2. Not that I didn't like the other recommendations just that I looked at it as soon as Drummer replied and since it looked good I ordered it straight away. It arrived today, an hour after my lunch.

So my lunch was 2 scrambled egg with cheese and 2 buttered white bread toasts.

1 hour post blood glucose was 5.9. Pretty lucky it seems like I can eat white bread :D.

------

Also on a related note, anyone know how to convert Hba1c % into mmol/mol? As in the equation? I have a little food diary on a spreadsheet and I am looking to have it track average blood sugars and put those into a HbA1c estimate (I know it won't be accurate). I have found the equation to get it in percent but I don't know percent to mmol/mol.
Click to expand...
I don’t know the formula, but here is a conversion chart.
 
But it won't be accurate and isn't intended to be Craig. Just because my BG is a perfect 5 every split second I happen to test it, absolutely does not mean it says firmly at 5 for all the other split seconds of my life!
 
Converting an average of prick tests to an Hba1c estimate only works if your average meter reading is based on a lot of readings over lots of different times, and even then there will be times of day when you rarely/never test. Doing it based on just one or a few readings is a bit pointless!
7.7 not too bad, though!
 
And even if you do have a method test all times of the day, it is not necessarily accurate.
For example, Libre estimated my Hb1aC to be 35. It was actually 45. I was not disappointed because I was using the LIbre to identify and manage what causes highs and lows not to come up with a number which tells me whether I am "cured" or not.
 
helli said:
And even if you do have a method test all times of the day, it is not necessarily accurate.
For example, Libre estimated my Hb1aC to be 35. It was actually 45. I was not disappointed because I was using the LIbre to identify and manage what causes highs and lows not to come up with a number which tells me whether I am "cured" or not.
Click to expand...
My Libre was out for mine too , was not totally suprised either as mySugr estimates are never near either.
 
I am not expecting it to be accurate, just want it there for completeness sake. Since I am already going to be averaging my blood sugar levels I'd like to also have a HbA1c estimate because why not?
 
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