The Connection Between Glucometer Accuracy and Health Outcomes - Diabetes Blog
Home»Blog»Health Product & Devices » The Connection Between Glucometer Accuracy and Health Outcomes

The Connection Between Glucometer Accuracy and Health Outcomes

797 0
glucometer accuracy and health outcomes
0
(0)

Diabetes is also called “Diabetes Mellitus” and is popularly known as DM in the medical fraternity. While healthcare professionals primarily focus on managing/reversing this illness rather than preventing it, it makes sense to understand the causes and how you can delay or prevent its entry into your life. Many folks believe that it is simply a hereditary ailment and they need not worry. While it is true that genetics does play a role, especially in type-2 and gestational DM, other factors also matter. It is, therefore, a good idea to have a handy glucose meter in the family for self-monitoring.

IDC blog banner free doc consultation

So, what are some of the factors that cause diabetes?

  • Stress – Disturbs metabolism and, thereby, sugar build-up.
  • Body Mass – Obesity can result in insulin resistance, leading to diabetes.
  • Diet – Binge drinking, smoking, and eating unhealthy food create a perfect environment for diabetes.

Glucometers can make a huge difference, but what is more important is the accuracy of the resultant values.

The Crucial Role of Glucometer Accuracy

So, why is glucometer accuracy so important, and why are healthcare professionals concerned about it? At the very outset, you need to understand that “Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose”, or SMBG, has now become a standard practice. Affected individuals self-monitor their diabetes status to improve quality of life and reduce dependency on clinic/lab visits. It is this self-assessment that makes glucometer accuracy a big concern for doctors. Faulty or inaccurate readings can compromise your treatment/regime and even suggest insulin tweaks, which can be dangerous.

Understanding Blood Glucose Variability

Remember, SMBG is a severe task. Inaccuracies can result from device malfunction or, not following your doctor’s advice vis-à-vis diet/lifestyle changes or skipping medicines. This typically creates large variations in blood glucose readings. A glucose monitor provides instant blood sugar value and also critical markers such as standard deviation or SD and coefficient of variation or CV (which incidentally should be 33% or lower).

Impact on Diabetes Medication Dosages

GV or glycaemic variation resulting from inaccurate readings can lead to faulty treatments and tweaks. Earlier, A1C was considered a de facto reference to create a treatment plan for the affected individual. However, this method has its shortcomings, and one of them is its lack of responsiveness to GV or fluctuations in blood glucose levels occurring over shorter timelines (days and weeks instead of months). Creating a treatment regime based only on A1C can potentially lead to hypoglycaemia.

The Significance of Hypoglycaemia Detection

Glucometer inaccuracy due to faulty devices or compromised glucometer lancets can lead to improper diagnosis and, thereby, a faulty regime. It can send your diabetes recovery treatment into a tizzy. It can impact your blood sugar level negatively, leading to Hypoglycaemia. It is, therefore, crucial to conduct a regular lab test along with the A1C test. Depending only on self-monitoring can be risky, especially if your device malfunctions or you are unable to interpret the data correctly.

Identifying Trends and Patterns in Glucose Readings

Glucometers and CGMs provide intuitive and easy-to-interpret data. These are trends or patterns … signifying your blood glucose fluctuations over different timelines, which can span over a few hours, days, and even weeks. The idea is to understand how it impacts your targeted goals. If the deviations fall within the stipulated range, you know you are on the right regime/treatment plan. Glucometers are smart and, therefore, record even minor abnormalities. The visually appealing graphs make the task of interpretation a joy and not a chore.

Preventing Complications with Reliable Data

Remember, only the best glucometer helps you initiate self-monitoring, provides instant values, and also records deviations over multiple timelines. Real-time readings offer a window through which you can see the impact of your actions on your blood sugar levels. It simply means you can identify which food, exercise, and stress type results in spikes. You can also narrow down medicines that improve effectiveness in achieving your glycaemic goals. Reliable data can help you tweak your lifestyle and medication, thereby preventing short and long-term complications.

Accuracy and Decision-Making for Insulin Users

Insulin is mainly advised for type-1 and people with gestational diabetes (women). However, being a powerful hormone, its effect on blood sugar levels is quick and intense, and incorrect dosage can lead to hypoglycaemia. Therefore, most doctors recommend CGMs to insulin-dependent people with diabetes. On the other hand, certain type-2 people with diabetes also use insulin but monitor their diabetes values through regular glucometers. In such cases, interpreting the data correctly for an optimised insulin intake is extremely crucial. Informed decisions through intelligent rendering of data can go a long way in managing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

Read More: Glucometer Strips – Your Diabetes Management Companion

Glucometer Accuracy – Summing Up

Glucometer accuracy is one of the essential requirements for addressing “Diabetes Mellitus”. The subsequent events, such as medication, diet plan, and exercise, are typically based on the readings offered by “glucometer digital” devices. Misinterpretation due to human error or malfunction can lead to improper treatment, creating short- and long-term medical repercussions.

Disclaimer:The content of this article is compiled information from generic and public sources. It is in no way a substitute, suggestion, or advice for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. BeatoApp does not claim responsibility for this information .

Dr. Navneet Agarwal is an established and highly skilled Diabetology with over 25 years of experience in Diabetology & Obesity. He is well-regarded for his quality and patient-centered diabetes care. Also, keep track of your blood sugar levels with a Doctors’ approved smart glucometer and elevate your healthcare routine.

How useful was this post?

Click on a star to rate it!

Average rating 0 / 5. Vote count: 0

No votes so far! Be the first to rate this post.

We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!

Let us improve this post!

Tell us how we can improve this post?

Sakshi Poptani

Sakshi Poptani

As a Content strategist, I have a keen eye for storytelling, brand marketing and community management. I have worked across three sectors - hospitality, technology and healthcare. They have evolved me as a writer and helped me bridge the gaps between storytelling and brand management. I have an unwavering aim of reaching out to as many people as I can. I want to enhance the perspective and insights of both my readers and my own self as I tread further in my journey.

Leave a Reply

Index