[dms]

This is my first post. I have been a diabetic for 3 years. I am one of the lucky ones to be able to have it under control, thru diet, excersize and 2 metforman a day.

I recently changed insurance companies and used the One Touch Ultra for 2 years with great success. But new insurance company, Healthnet, does not support One Touch but they do for Accu-check. My pharmacy said they re the best 2 on the market. so for a week, i played with both of them, using the same blood drop. I was amazed at the MAJOT difference between the reedings. With the Ultra One touch, my fasting blood test in the AM was 95-100, and with the Accu_check, it was between 125-135. Wow, what a difference. so I contacted both manufacturers, and both said the readings will not be the same, and Accu-check said the variations here are normal. Both companies sent me their testing viles, and both units tested within specs. Repeated the tests 3 times each.

At 95-100, I am in great shape. At 125-130, I am not. So I just got my blood rechecked at the doctors this week, and my A1c is at 5.6. I rechecked my meters, within 3 ,minutes of having my blood taken.

So judging by my blood work at the doctors, I have to assume the One touch Ultra tester, is the accurate one, and not the Accu-Check. I have not found any studies or comparisons out there, but having a consistant 30-35 points spread, and both meters, using their testing fluids, tested to within their specs.

Can anyone shed some light on this?

mike

 

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I'm not 100% certain about this, but 7 years as DM2 has shown me that (in my case at least) the HbA1c test result corresponds to one's average BG reading (in mmol/L) over the past three months. A reading of 100 mg/dL corresponds to a reading of 5?5 mmol/L, so on the basis of the A1c result, it looks as if the One Touch result is indeed the accurate one.

As for the so-called "Accu-Chek", 125≡6?9 and 135≡7?5, both of which (as you say) are very worrying (the first is just under what is regarded in the UK as the maximum permissible, the second is well over the maximum), so I think you need to try to persuade your insurance company to support the One-Touch meter. Thank goodness we in the UK have state-provided health insurance...

 

[Terrie]

Hello DMS! Welcome.

I'm so Glad that you are doing well with your Diabetes control.
An A1c of 5.6 is Excellent. Good job.

The lowest A1c that I've ever had(that I know of)was 5.9. My
last results Feb. 8th was 6.3(again)which is still Good.

Thank you for mentioning about the Accu-chek. I have never
used one but someone was asking about them.

I always compare my new meters(blood test)against my Doctors
office meter. I like to make sure that we are on the same page
or close to it.

My coverage allows any meter and since I have done well with
the Life Scan products, I am using the Ultra 2(have 2) plus
considering the mini.

 

[KEB]

I've had a similar experience with a new Contour meter that I got free with a coupon. I bought some test strips and started using it instead of the Ultra One-Touch. I was consistently getting readings 20 points lower on the Contour. I got suspicious and took both meters into my Dr's office to compare with their meter, and found both my meters were about 15 points lower than the office meter. I called Bayer about their meter and we did a diagnostic check over the phone which showed the meter was working fine, so they had me send in the remainder of my test strips & sample solution (which they replaced for free). I'm now waiting for the results on the test strips, and not sure which meter to believe. Makes you wonder doesn't it?

 

[Terrie]

Hi There! Welcome.

Yes, it certainly does make you wonder. Bad enough, supposedly all meters are off by 15-20 percent. Correct me if you've recently heard different. They should be able to get it closer than that. After all, the amount of Insulin we take and correction we make otherwise is a direct result of the number on the meter.
Thanks for your comment. I hope that you get some satifaction from the outcome.

 

[eddiemcm]

OneTouch Ultra meter reads low

My OneTouch Ultra meter consistently reads 10-15 points
lower than Relion and Clever Chek.
Eddie

 

[Marcy]

I have used One Touch Ulta for years. I have been very happy with it but not with the cost of the test strips. I pay for those out of my pocket and they are at least double or more, then the other test strips for the other meters. I would like to switch because of cost but not sure which one to switch to.

 

[Terrie]

Agreed, the cost of test strips is ridiculous but I thought the strips for most meters were more or less the same price with perhaps a variance of around $15.-$20.

The Relion, as Eddie mentioned, is used by many Diabetics(and non-Diabetics) which is available at most WalMart stores with test results that are in the acceptable percentage range. The meter is cheap as are the strips.

(As mentioned before, eBay sells strips of most kinds at cheaper prices).

 

[Marcy]

Hi Terrie
Unfortunately, there is a big difference in the strips for the One Touch Ultra and the other brands.
I pay around $115 dollars for 100 of the One Touch Ultra strips. I have found that I can get some other brands anywhere from $40-60 for 100. We even tried sending away for them and they are still more expensive then the others.

 

[Terrie]

Hi:

Wow! $115.00 is quite a bit.
$40.-$60. is much better...if you're talking about the Ultra strips or a similar brand that a Person uses. I'm sure some People here would like to know what other brands you are talking about and where they can find those prices. I think the Relion strips are about $30.

Hmmm...I've never had to mail away for drugs but most have said all brand strips were cheaper by mail. That's why they ordered them that way.

I just noticed that my Husband's work Insurance is charged $240.57(CDN)(for 300 strips). I was surprised because I know that years before they used to charge the Insurance company more than if a Person paid out-of-pocket.

Oh Ya....some time ago I had asked my Dr. for a script for 300 strips a month. So the Pharmacy charges the Insurance for all 300 at once, each month. That's probably why it's cheaper. Bulk.

 

[freebird]

I've ran into this before, and you're right, a +/- 10% (if I remember what they told me correctly) is standard. It really makes one wonder why, given technological advances, they can't be more accurate. For awhile I bought my test strips on ebay, I could get better deals on them (if I watched) there, than I could at the local Wal-Mart.

 

[ohheygurl]

Hope this helps?

Hi guys.

I work for one of these companies and probably shouldn't be putting this out there, but I have family with the disease so I get it.

You're going to get different readings for A LOT of different reasons. And even if you take the tests 100 at a time on one meter, they'll all be a bit different.

1.) It's not a perfect science. At all. There is definitely a margin of error. It's usually a strip to strip thing because honestly, your strips do most of the work. And nothing is perfect.

2.) You're not using the same blood and your body is going to change. Even if it's the same hole in your finger, the blood you used in one strip is gone in to the strip. The next drop is different blood. And every spec has a different amount of glucose because your body is always changing the blood and there are a ton of processes happening in your blood stream at any given time. A bit of a variation is good, means you're alive.

that being said....

3.) Same basic technology, yes. But each company has a different variation of reactor enzyme in their strips. What that means: the way a test works is that the blood goes into the strip where it meets with a glucose specific enzyme. The reaction with the enzyme and a zap from the meter help to separate the glucose in your blood from everything else. Some enzymes are more specific than others and are able to separate the glucose in a different way. But no company uses the exact same type of enzyme.

So really you have to do what research you can on what's in the strip and go with what you know. You know your body, so you know what works for you. Sadly, it's not something that is exact yet.

This also doesn't mean that a high reading should be cause for you to ignore it and blame the product. You always want to double check just to be sure obviously.

I hope this makes a little more sense for you guys.

 

[skb]

This thread is from 2008. I was not even a member then, so therefore the names are not familiar to me. And thank you Ohheygurl for a peep into the technology involved in the tests.

For the newer members here, I want to add something I have observed over the years.

1. When comparing 2 different strips/meters or even a recheck, it is always better to use the lancet again and have a new prick/hole/drop because the first one where you tested has some traces of the reagent and will give you a differing number.

2. When comparing meter to lab accuracy use your finger tips for the meter & the let the lab use the venous sample. Do not use the sample/drop from the syringe as the BG at the elbow joint & the finger tip differs. The labs use different equipment/technology than the meters. What we are trying to compare are the 'readings' at any given moment of time using the same technique/principles that we use every day.

 

[Shanny]