Our diabetes educator will help you understand your blood glucose meter.
My patients often come to me with questions about their blood glucose meter equipment. A common question is, "Why do my test results vary from meter to meter?" The simple answer is that meters are tested for accuracy and must pass self-testsBlood sugar monitoring systemISO standard and American guidelines, and can only deviate from the reference method by 15 percent. The variation performance confused many patients. This can be especially alarming if you're using a new product that doesn't seem to "match" the blood glucose meter you're already using.
ISO, the International Standards Organization, has guidelines that meter companies must adhere to, as does the FDA in the US. Currently, all blood glucose meter readings must be within 15 percent of the actual laboratory value of blood sugar 95 percent of the time and within 20 percent of the laboratory value 99 percent of the time
While this can be confusing, a blood glucose reading that is a lab value of 100 mg/dL could possibly appear on a meter as 80-120 mg/dL and still be considered accurate.
Fortunately, Dario has undergone significant testing and meets or exceeds ISO standards by staying within 20 percent 99% of the time.
What does this mean for you, the end user? This means that meters manufactured before the stricter ISO standards were in place may vary slightly more. Home meters can usually be reasonably accurate, but may exhibit discrepancies.
That is why we recommend that you do not jump back and forth between using different meters during the day. The most important thing to remember is to consistently use one meter from one brand and compare the readings with your doctor to make sure you know for sure what your meter is reading.
At DarioHealth we take the accuracy of our products very seriously and consistently test our meters and strips to ensure that you can have complete confidence that when you purchase Dario, you are receiving a reliable, quality product.
So don't forget: Choose one meter to test to ensure regularity and reliability and to reduce confusion. Choose Dario.
To Susan Sloane
Susan B. Sloane, BS, RPh, CDE, has been a registered pharmacist for more than 29 years and a certified diabetes educator for most of her career. Her two sons were diagnosed with diabetes, and since then she has been committed to promoting wellness and optimal outcomes as a patient advocate, information expert, educator and business partner.
Susan has published numerous articles on the topic of diabetes for patients and healthcare professionals. She has dedicated her career goals to helping patients with diabetes stay healthy through education.
Medical disclaimer
The articles on this website are for informational purposes only. Moreover, it is written for a general audience and not for a specific case; therefore, this information should not be used for diagnostic or medical treatment. This site does not attempt to replace the patient-physician relationship and strongly encourages the reader to seek the best treatment from their doctor and/or diabetes educator.
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