HOME
A-Z

Blood Glucose Meter to Monitor Blood Sugar Levels

Worried about diabetes or being pre-diabetic? Read on about the importance of a blood glucose monitoring system, and how to use a blood glucose meter to manage blood sugar levels at home.

Reasons to Own a Glucometer

Regularly monitoring your blood sugar levels can help you take better care of your diabetes. Checking your blood sugar helps you learn how food, activity levels, stress, medicine and insulin affect your blood sugar levels. Having a regular blood glucose monitoring system enables you to stay healthy and prevent or delay diabetic complications such as blindness, nerve problems or kidney failure.

How to Select a Blood Glucometer

• Ease of operation

• Speed and accuracy of results

• Minimal taking of blood

• User safety

How to Interpret Blood Glucometer Readings

Home glucose meters provide blood sugar level results in either plasma or whole blood values. Laboratory tests provide plasma glucose level, which is 10 to 15 percent higher than whole blood value. Know which type of value your blood glucose meter provides so you can compare your home test results with tests done by your doctor.

Accu-Chek Active — results reflect those of whole blood glucose level. Default setting of unit is in mmol/dl.

Optium — results reflect those of plasma glucose level. Unit can change to mmol/L or mg/dl.

	Ideal (non-diabetic levels)	Optimal	Suboptimal	Unacceptable
Fasting plasma glucose	4.0 — 6.0	6.1 — 8.0	8.1 — 10.0	>10.0
Two hours after meals plasma glucose	5.0 — 7.0	7.0 — 10.0	10.1 — 13.0	>13.0

Source: HPB

Interpretation of Readings

For those whose blood glucose falls in the unacceptable range, consult your doctor as soon as possible as your condition requires immediate assistance.

For those whose blood glucose often falls in the range of suboptimal, consult your doctor for advice on dietary or medication modification.

How to Use a Blood Glucometer

• Code the meter whenever a new box of test strips is used

• Select your preferred unit of measurement i.e. set the glucometer to mmol/L or mg/dL

• Disinfect finger with alcohol swab

• Obtain blood sample from the disinfected finger by using the lancet to prick the tip of the finger and hold a drop of blood to the edge of the strip

• Place the test strip with the blood sample into the meter (this depends on the model used; refer to instruction manual for details) and the blood glucose result will be displayed in either mg/dl or mmol/L

• Record the reading

• Remove test strip from the glucometer