Johns Hopkins Health Alert
"Bloodless" Glucose Testing: Where We Stand
Self-testing of blood glucose with a blood glucose meter is one of the central elements of caring for your diabetes. But results from many studies indicate that people with diabetes should be more aggressive in their daily monitoring of blood glucose levels if they want to reduce their risk of diabetes complications. Of course, pricking your finger with a needle several times a day is not fun . Recently a reader asked us: Is there a way to check your blood glucose level that doesn't require a needle prick? Here’s what we know …
Don't toss out your lancets and test strips just yet. A number of medical-device makers have tried to create methods to measure blood glucose that do not require puncturing the skin with a sharp object to extract a drop of blood. Unfortunately, no one has yet figured out the secret to accurate "bloodless" glucose testing.
Scientists have been trying to develop a noninvasive glucose monitor for several decades. One device that was tested and gained widespread attention was known as the Dream Beam, which was supposed to measure blood sugar by passing light through your finger. However, the device did not produce accurate readings and, like many other attempts, failed as an alternative to finger-prick testing.
The only noninvasive blood glucose monitor ever to gain approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the GlucoWatch Biographer, caused many users to develop skin rashes. It was taken off the market in 2007. Nonetheless, several companies are trying to develop monitors that use infrared light, electromagnetic waves, and other technologies to measure glucose levels. These devices are still being studied, however.
Bottom Line: If you're bothered by finger pricks, don't stop testing; instead, try less painful methods, such as using lancets that don't puncture the skin so deeply. And look also to the real advance over the past few years: the availability of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM).
Posted in Diabetes on June 10, 2010
Reviewed January 2011
Medical Disclaimer: This information is not intended to substitute for the advice of a physician. Click here for additional information: Johns Hopkins Health Alerts Disclaimer
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