Which glucometer is better to choose - rating, price-quality ratio

A disease such as diabetes requires enormous efforts from patients to maintain health. Thanks to modern home blood sugar meters, now every person with diabetes can independently monitor this indicator.

There are two types of glucose meters: invasive and non-invasive. The former work by taking a blood sample and analyzing it for sugar particles, the latter simply use capillary flows to obtain results through the skin. Despite the advancement of science, non-invasive sugar meters are still not perfect and, although very convenient to use, do not give 100% results. The deviation error of such devices can reach 30-35%, which is very important when measuring borderline sugar levels.

This is why invasive devices top the ranking of glucometers in terms of measurement accuracy and are still one of the best options.

Review of the best invasive glucose meters on the market.

We present to your attention a list of popular devices on the market for measuring blood sugar levels.

One Tought from Bayer is an excellent representative of foreign devices, the error of which is no more than 20%.
Accu Chek Aktive is a modern invasive device, compact and convenient, but small numbers and a small screen are not suitable for people with limited vision.
The Accu Chek Mobile is a good mobile glucose meter that is so convenient that it fits into a small cosmetic bag. This of course affects its price, which reduces the number of buyers.
One Touch Select is a popular device according to user reviews. Its advantage is the availability of test strips in pharmacy chains.
Elta Satellite Express is a domestically produced electrochemical meter that has gained popularity among buyers due to its low price. The price-quality ratio is decent, and its availability in pharmacies is almost always 100%

Although invasive glucose meters are less convenient, they provide more accurate data.

Insulet

Insulet, an American company founded in 2000, develops and manufactures infusion systems for people with insulin-dependent diabetes, primarily in the United States and Canada, as well as in Europe.

The company offers the OmniPod Insulin Management System, which consists of a disposable infusion device (insulin pump) and a portable, wireless personal monitoring device that connects to the pump via Bluetooth, and is an alternative to traditional insulin delivery methods. It is a hybrid closed-loop system with a built-in predictive analysis model algorithm to calculate dosage for each individual patient. It can be used together with basal (designed to ensure the normal functioning of the body) and bolus insulin (to compensate for food intake). Thanks to its simple and convenient design, the disposable unit provides up to three days of continuous insulin delivery.

The user can also connect their Omnipod system to the Omnipod Display or Omnipod View mobile apps. These apps are designed to allow users and their doctors to track the progress of insulin therapy, especially important when a child is using the device.

Good glucometer for home

Despite the wide choice of devices for measuring blood sugar levels, it is important to understand which glucometer is best to choose in order to simplify the process of drawing blood. The Swiss device Contour Plus is perfect for your purposes. Innovative mechanisms for analyzing blood sugar allow you to obtain accurate results, thereby determining the patient's condition. This is necessary to control sugar in a prediabetic state, when every tenth of the indicator is very important.

Thanks to a high-quality glucometer, you can always keep the situation under control.

Main characteristics of Contour Plus

To understand why this glucometer is right for you, you should read the technical information about the device. It includes the following parameters:

Measurement method – electrochemical;
The result is calibrated by plasma except (this is where the largest amount of sugar is contained;
Sugar measurement occurs in the range from 0.6 to 33.3 mmol/L;
The device stores the average for 7 days of measurements, as well as data on the last 480 studies;
The device is small in size (7.5*5.7 cm and only 2 cm thick) and runs on two batteries, which can be easily purchased at any store.

All these characteristics allow this device to occupy a leading position in the rating of glucometers in terms of price/quality ratio.

The main advantages of the Kontur plus glucometer

When considering blood sugar meters, familiarizing yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of a specific model will help you determine which one is better.

Why choose Contour Plus?

The measurement takes place with a small amount of blood.
Results are displayed 5 seconds after sample collection.
The special technology for setting up the device allows it to be used immediately after opening the package and does not require professional setup of the equipment.
The test strips, of which there are 25 pieces in a set, are coated with a special enzyme that does not react to oxygen and maltose, which allows you to obtain more accurate results.
The device has a built-in special Second Chance system, which makes it possible to reuse the test strip within 30 seconds after the previous result.

All these advantages make it possible to analyze which good glucometer is suitable for your home.

A good option would be to ask your doctor if a particular glucometer is right for you.

Self-monitoring of glycemia by the patient

In connection with the above, in the latest edition of the “Algorithms for specialized medical care for patients with diabetes mellitus” (2015), special attention is paid to monitoring patients with diabetes. Thus, self-monitoring of glycemia should be carried out several times a day at the onset of the disease or during decompensation, and during therapy with hypoglycemic drugs - at least 2 tests daily at different times of the day and once a week - at least 4 times a day. During insulin therapy, glycemic control should be carried out even more often, at least 4 times daily. To adequately assess the state of carbohydrate metabolism and determine the risks of complications, an indicator such as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1C) is used. However, this indicator gives us information about what the patient’s average sugar level was over the last 3 months, but does not in any way characterize the situation over a shorter period of time. So it turns out that all responsibility for controlling sugar, and therefore maintaining compensation, lies entirely with the patient.

However, even if all recommendations are followed and careful self-monitoring, information about the dynamics of sugar during the rest of the day remains outside the framework, and we cannot guarantee the absence of hyper- or hypoglycemia.

Equipment and warranty

Despite the wide range of medical devices for the home, a review of the Kontur Plus series equipment gives an idea of these devices as reliable blood sugar meters.

What do you get when purchasing this device?

Glucometer and lancing device with tip;
Colored test strips 25 pcs (as a bonus program);
User's Guide and Quick Reference;
A special diary in which you can record measurement data over time;
Warranty card and 5 year warranty;
A special case in which you can store the device after opening the package.

It is important to remember that when purchasing a product from official representatives, the client receives not only the product itself, but also sales and after-sales service. Because devices tend to break down, it is necessary to be able to get professional help in repairing it, which is provided by official sellers.

Having analyzed the situation on the market for medical devices for home use, we can conclude that the rating of medical meters is based mainly on the ease of use of the device, its cost and quality of work. If you want to purchase a truly accurate glucometer at a realistic price, you should consider this option as a priority, due to Swiss quality and positive experience of use by many customers.

How to choose a glucometer for home use?

An electrochemical type device - test strips that are part of the device are treated with specific solutions. During the interaction of human blood with these solutions, the level of glycemia is fixed by changing the electrical current;
A photometric type device, the test strips of these glucometers are also treated with reagents. They change their color depending on the glucose levels in a drop of blood applied to the designated area of the strip.
A glucometer operating according to the Romanov type - such devices, unfortunately, are not available for use. They assess glycemic levels through skin spectroscopy.
Important! The first two types of glucometers have similar characteristics; they are quite accurate in measurements. Electrochemical devices are considered the most convenient and have become widespread in the territory of the Republic of Belarus.

BY WHAT PRINCIPLE TO CHOOSE?

To choose the right glucometer, you should pay attention to its characteristics. The first important point is reliability. You should give preference to models from trusted manufacturers that have been on the market for several years and have proven themselves well.

PRICE POLICY

For most people, price is one of the main issues when choosing a portable device. Unfortunately, not many people can afford expensive glucometers, but most manufacturers have solved this problem by releasing budget models, but at the same time maintaining the accuracy of glycemic determination.

You also need to remember about consumables that will need to be purchased every month. For example, test strips. With type 1 diabetes, the patient must measure his sugar levels several times a day, which means that he will need up to 200 strips monthly.

Test strips are consumables that people with diabetes need in large quantities. For type 2 diabetes mellitus, glycemic indicators are measured at least once a day. This naturally saves costs on consumables.

DIAGNOSTIC RESULT

mmol/l;
mg%;
mg/dl.

In our country, the unit of measurement for glycemia is mmol/l.

A DROP OF BLOOD

To choose the right glucometer, you should also take into account how much biomaterial is needed for diagnosis. The less blood is used, the more convenient it is to use the device. This is especially true for young children, for whom every finger pricking procedure is stressful. The optimal indicators in this case are 0.5-0.8 µl. They allow you to reduce the depth of the puncture, speed up the wound healing process, and make the procedure less painful and traumatic.

TIME TO ANALYZE RESULTS

You should also choose a device based on the time that passes from the moment a drop of blood hits the test strip until the diagnostic results appear on the glucometer screen. The speed of evaluating results differs for each model. Optimally – 5-10 seconds.

There are devices that show glycemic numbers even after 40-50 seconds, which is not very convenient for checking sugar levels at work, while traveling, on a business trip, or in public places. The duration of diagnosis is one of the important indicators that is taken into account at the time of purchasing an analyzer.

TEST STRIPS

Manufacturers typically produce test strips that are suitable for their machines. All strips differ from each other in the location of the test zone on which blood should be applied. In addition, more advanced models are designed in such a way that the device independently collects blood in the required quantity due to the capillary structure of the test strips.

Test strips can also come in different sizes. Making small movements may not be possible for some people with diabetes, which should also be taken into account when choosing a glucometer. In addition, each batch of strips has a specific code that must match the coding of the meter. In a number of models, it is necessary to code the device manually, and this can significantly complicate its use. Therefore, when choosing, it makes sense to give preference to glucometers with an auto-encoding function.

POWER TYPE

Device descriptions also contain information about their batteries. Some models have a power supply that cannot be replaced, but there are also a number of devices that operate using regular batteries. It is optimal that the battery charge level is enough for 1000 studies. But there are models whose charge lasts for 5000, which is important for frequent monitoring of blood glucose levels.

SOUND

For most people with diabetes, it is important to purchase a device that has an audible alarm function. This will make the process of measuring your glycemic level easier.

MEMORY

The best glucose meter is the one with the largest memory capacity. This is especially important for those patients who do not keep a personal diabetic diary and do not record diagnostic results.

DIMENSIONS AND COMMUNICATION WITH OTHER DEVICES

How to choose a glucometer for an active person who does not dwell on his illness and is in constant motion? For such patients, devices with small dimensions are suitable. They are easy to transport and use even in public places.

Connectivity with PC and other communication devices is another feature that most young people enjoy. This is important not only for keeping your own diary electronically, but also for the ability to send data to your personal physician.

GUARANTEE

Nowadays, it makes sense to give preference to devices with a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty. You need to clarify whether there are service centers of the manufacturer you have chosen in our country.

Thus, we have reviewed the main, most important characteristics of devices for self-monitoring for diabetes, which you need to pay attention to at the time of purchase, and what your glucometer will be like is up to you to decide.