A guide to glucose Meters

Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose

The process of monitoring one's own blood glucose with a glucose meter is often referred to as self-monitoring of blood glucose or "SMBG."

Portable glucose meters are small battery-operated devices. These are available over the counter at your local drug store.
You can also purchase them online from web sites selling medications.

To test for glucose with a typical glucose meter, a small sample of blood is placed on a disposable "test strip" and the strip is placed in the meter. The test strips are coated with chemicals (glucose oxidase, dehydrogenase, or hexokinase) that combine with glucose in blood. The meter measures how much glucose is present. Meters do this in different ways. Some meters measure the amount of electricity that can pass through the sample. Others measure how much light reflects from it. The meter displays the glucose level as a number. Several new models can record and store a number of test results. Some models can connect to personal computers to store test results or print them out.

Choosing a Glucose Meter

At least 25 different meters are commercially available.

They differ in several ways including

Amount of blood needed for each test

Testing speed

Overall size

Ability to store test results in memory

Cost of the meter

Cost of the test strips used

Newer meters often have features that make them easier to use than older models. Some meters allow you to get blood from places other than your fingertip (Alternative Site Testing). Some new models have automatic timing, error codes and signals, or barcode readers to help with calibration. Some meters have a large display screen or spoken instructions for people with visual impairments.