Diabetes: How to choose the right blood glucose meter

To live well with diabetes and maintain a suitable pace of life, we must have healthy habits, adequate medical monitoring and choose a good blood glucose meter. This vital disease management tool should be accurate and easy to use. Ascensia, a world leader in diabetes care, has been developing a range of high precision products for 70 years.

Research and development has led to the creation of a smart reader, the CONTOUR NEXT GEN. The company was interested in demystifying the risks of unrecognized¹ hypoglycemia caused by erroneous results, and has developed a tool that delivers results that exceed the Canadian industry minimum standard for blood glucose meters.

Blood glucose meter accuracy

The creation of this cutting-edge technology provides data that exceeds industry standards with an accuracy of +/- 5.3%² compared to current standards, set at +/- 15%³. This advancement not only provides peace of mind, but also better insulin dose injection management.

This is because the meter’s accuracy can have a big influence on the number of units of insulin to inject. It is therefore essential to ensure that the tool we use on a daily basis works properly to avoid the inherent risks of hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia.

The more difficult it is to control your blood sugar, the more likely you are to have various reactions to the disease⁴, such as a hypoglycaemic coma, blindness, kidney failure, or amputations.

Treatment of hypoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia

Taking steps to better control your diabetes and prevent hypoglycemia is a focus in your daily life. Having a quick, accurate reader, such as the CONTOUR NEXT GEN, is key to your quality of life.

Take, for example, a person who has had a blood glucose meter for years and whose accuracy is +/- 20%. Their meter reads 13.4 mmol/L, whereas a lab reading would read 11.2 mmol/L. Based on this reading, the dose of insulin to be taken according to the personal blood glucose meter result is more than what the body needs, which may increase its risk of hypoglycemia.

En revanche, prenons en exemple une personne qui utilise un lecteur de glycémie de nouvelle génération possédant une précision de pointe. Son lecteur personnel lui indique 12.3 mmol/L, tandis que la valeur de sa glycémie prise en laboratoire est de 11,2 mmol/L. La précision de son lecteur de glycémie fait en sorte que la dose d’insuline injectée est adéquate, réduisant beaucoup les risque d’hypoglycémie et d’hyperglycémie.

However, consider an example of a person who uses a new generation blood glucose meter with state-of-the-art accuracy. Their personal meter indicates 12.3 mmol/L, while the value of their blood sugar taken in the laboratory is 11.2 mmol/L. The accuracy of their blood glucose meter ensures that the dose of insulin injected is adequate, greatly reducing the risk of hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia.

To maintain a good quality of life, it is also important to know the possible symptoms of hypoglycemia and those of hyperglycemia, and it is also necessary to know how to counter these two problems effectively.

If your blood sugar is below 4 mmol/L⁵:

• Consume 15g of fast-acting sugar, such as 15ml of honey, 150ml of juice or regular soda, or 15g of glucose tablets.
• Wait 15 minutes, then check your blood sugar again.
• Repeat the process until your blood sugar is above 4.0 mmol/L.

If your blood sugar is above 7 mmol/L on an empty stomach or before a meal, or above 10 mmol/L two hours after the start of a meal⁶:

• Treating hyperglycemia consists of a modified diet and the practice of regular physical exercise.

A one-off case of hyperglycemia does not have serious short-term consequences (unless it is very high, especially greater than 14 mmol/L or occurs frequently). Its repetition can have consequences on the kidneys, vision, nerves and arteries.

Because prevention is better than cure, the CONTOUR NEXT GEN meter and its smartLIGHT feature instantly show you if your blood sugar is within targets. The free Contour Diabetes app is intuitive for patients and provides an easy-to-read blood glucose diary that can be transferred to your healthcare professional for consultation at any time. It’s a tool that gives you peace of mind.

If you have any questions about your blood glucose meter or if you want more information, know that your Familiprix-affiliated pharmacist can help you remotely and in-store at any time.

The article was developed by Familiprix and supported by Ascensia, a manufacturer of diabetes care products in Canada.

1. Étude Breton: Breton MD et coll. J Diabetes Sci Technol 2010;4:562-570
2. Patient should consult with their health care provider prior to making any changes to treatment regimen. Minimum accuracy requirements of ISO15197: 2013 Section 6.3 standard require ≥95% of the measured values to fall within ±0.83 mmol/L at glucose concentrations <5.6 mmol/L or within ±15% ≥5.6 mmol/L of the referenced method.>95% of the results were within the error range ±0.3 mmol/L or ±5.3% of the laboratory reference (HK) values for glucose concentrations <5.6 mmol/L or ≥5.6 mmol/L, respectively.
3. Current regulation based on Health Canada recognized ISO 15197:2013 standard requires results within ±15%range, specifically: ≥95% of results must fall within ±0.83 mmol/L for blood glucose concentrations < 5.55 mmol/L and within ±15% for blood glucose concentrations ≥5.55 mmol/L.
4. Manuel d’utilisation du lecteur de glycémie CONTOUR®NEXT ONE 90002727 Rév. 11/18.
5. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/healthy-living/your-health/medical-information/insulin-products.html
6. According to Diabète Québec, hypoglycemia is defined as having a drop in blood sugar level below 4 mmol/L, with or without symptoms.
7. According to Diabète Québec, Hyperglycemia is defined as having a blood sugar level above target values for the majority of people with diabetes.

Sources :

https://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Maux/Problemes/Fiche.aspx?doc=hyperglycemie

https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/chronic-diseases/reports-publications/diabetes/diabetes-canada-facts-figures-a-public-health-perspective/report-highlights.html

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/healthy-living/your-health/medical-information/insulin-products.html

https://www.federationdesdiabetiques.org/diabete/glycemie/hyperglycemie#:~:text=Si%20votre%20glyc%C3%A9mie%20est%20tr%C3%A8s%20%C3%A9lev%C3%A9e%20et%20que%20le%20contr%C3%B4le,de%20vos%20doses%20d'insuline.