Diabetes Testing Mandatory in India

Blood tests to detect diabetes are likely to be made compulsory at health centres across India following the internationally followed 'opportunistic screening' norm. The scheme was in its pilot stage in 10 states, Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said Friday.

'The government has launched a National Programme for Prevention and Control of Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPDCS) on a pilot basis in 10 districts in 10 states which, among other things, seeks to facilitate early detection of this disease. This is in consonance with the internationally accepted strategy of opportunistic screening,' Azad told the Lok Sabha.

According to the health ministry, the exact number of diabetics in India is not known but the World Health Organisation estimates that there were 32 million diabetics in India in 2004.

India is estimated to have the largest number of diabetics (80 million) in the world by 2030, Azad said.

'An outlay of Rs.1,660.50 crore (Rs.16.6 billion) has been allotted for NPDCS during 11th Five Year Plan which will cover the entire country eventually,' Azad informed.

SOURCE

High Tech DIABETES TESTING Kits

Diabetes devices

What is SMBG?

SMBG is self-monitoring of blood glucose. Using a blood glucose monitor to do SMBG testing can help you improve control of your sugar levels. The results you get from an SMBG test can help you make appropriate adjustments to your medicine, diet and/or level of physical activity. Every person with diabetes should have a blood glucose monitor and know how to use it.

How often should I do SMBG testing?
Your family doctor will recommend how often you should test. Testing times are based on the kind of medicine you take and on how well your sugar levels are controlled.

What time of day should I test?
Recommendations for the best time of day to test your blood sugar depend on your medicine, mealtimes and sugar control. On the chart below, your doctor will check the times when you should test your sugar. Your doctor may also suggest different goals, depending on your situation.

Check your blood sugar if:

    * You have symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia),which include dizziness, shaking, sweating, chills and confusion
    * You have symptoms of high blood sugar (hyperglycemia),which include sleepiness, blurred vision, frequent urination and excessive thirst
    * You need to learn how meals, physical activity and medicine affect your blood sugar level
    * You have a job in which poor blood sugar control could cause safety problems
    * You need help deciding if it is safe to drive or perform other tasks that require concentration if you are taking insulin or have had hypoglycemia in the past

Reasons to check your blood sugar more frequently:

    * If your diabetes medicine changes
    * If you begin taking other kinds of medicines
    * If you change your diet
    * If your exercise routine or activity level changes
    * If your level of stress increases
    * If you are sick. When you are sick, even without eating, your sugar levels may run high, so testing is important.

Follow your doctor's testing recommendations during this time. Continue testing more often until you have maintained your SMBG goal values for at least 1 week, or until your doctor advises you that more frequent testing is no longer necessary.

SOURCE: www.familydoctor.org

When is DIABETES TESTING ordered?

Blood glucose testing can be used to screen healthy, asymptomatic individuals for diabetes and pre-diabetes because diabetes is a common disease that begins with few symptoms. Screening for glucose may occur during public health fairs or as part of workplace health programs. It may also be ordered when a patient has a routine physical exam. Screening is especially important for people at high risk of developing diabetes, such as those with a family history of diabetes, those who are overweight, and those who are more than 40 to 45 years old.

The glucose test may also be ordered to help diagnose diabetes when someone has symptoms of hyperglycemia, such as:

    * Increased thirst
    * Increased urination
    * Fatigue
    * Blurred vision
    * Slow-healing infections

or symptoms of hypoglycemia, such as:

    * Sweating
    * Hunger
    * Trembling
    * Anxiety
    * Confusion
    * Blurred Vision

Blood glucose testing is also done in emergency settings to determine if low or high glucose is contributing to symptoms such as fainting and unconsciousness. If a patient has pre-diabetes (characterized by fasting or OGTT levels that are higher than normal but lower than those defined as diabetic), the doctor will order a glucose test at regular intervals to monitor the patient’s status. With known diabetics, doctors will order glucose levels in conjunction with other tests such as hemoglobin A1c to monitor glucose control over a period of time.

Occasionally, a blood glucose level may be ordered along with insulin and C-peptide to monitor insulin production.

Diabetics may be required to self-check their glucose, once or several times a day, to monitor glucose levels and to determine treatment options as prescribed by their doctor.

Pregnant women are usually screened for gestational diabetes late in their pregnancies, unless they have early symptoms or previously have had gestational diabetes. When a woman has gestational diabetes, her doctor will usually order glucose levels throughout the rest of her pregnancy and after delivery to monitor her condition.

SOURCE: www.labtestsonline.com

Why do we need DIABETES TESTING?

The reason to care about testing is because by paying attention to the amount of sugar in the blood, we may actually save a diabetics’ life by preventing extreme events like crippling falls, dangerous disorientation, and severe comas.

Most diabetics take medication to help our body’s natural system of balancing the amount of sugar in our blood. And the medication science has given us is not perfect yet. So when our bodies are not chemically balanced--when the sugar in our blood is too high or too low--we have extreme events forced upon us. Stories about diabetics passing out, going into comas, and having accidents because of the diabetes are true.

So, when we care for a person with diabetes, we learn about living with these very real fears. And it is important that everyone realize that extreme events happen to diabetics even when doing our best to prevent them. That is why having diabetes is scary for all concerned. But even if you don’t have a clue about the complexities of the disease, help the aging diabetics you know by testing their blood sugar for them.

Routine doctor visits should always include a blood sugar test by medical personnel. But accidents due to unstable blood sugars in diabetics don’t usually happen at the doctor’s office. This is why family, friends, and caregivers who do blood testing every day will improve safety for the aging diabetics they love and serve.

SOURCE: National Council of Aging (Article Written by Laura Murphy Baillie)

Choosing Your DIABETES TESTING Meter

Good day! If you have anything you wish to add on this list, based on your own experience with DIA
BETES TESTING Meters, please feel free to share it with us by posting a comment. Thank you.

Features to Consider When Choosing Your Meter

Size of meter
If you carry your meter with you, consider a smaller meter and carrying case.

Size and location of buttons
Larger buttons may be easier for you if you have trouble using your hands or fingers.

Size and packaging of test strips
You must be able to open the foil wrapped or vial of strips. You also need to be able to pick up the strip to place it into the meter.

Blood sample size
If you test your blood sugar frequently, have trouble getting enough blood, or like to use sites other than fingers, consider a meter with strips that require 1 micro-liter of blood or less.

Meter memory
Memory features differ from meter to meter. Some meters store the result of one blood sugar test; others store up to 3000 tests.

Some meters can give you averages of blood sugar tests done in the past 7, 14, 30, or more days. Many meters have computer download capabilities and can display charts or graphs of your blood sugar results. Some meters even have the ability to keep track of food eaten, exercise, and medication, if you are willing to enter the information.

Batteries
Some meters use batteries that are easy to find (AA, AAA) at local stores. Other meters use batteries that need to be purchased at electronic stores such as Radio Shack. One simple solution is to carry a spare battery with you at all times. The battery life of most meters is about 2000 blood sugar tests.

Comparing meter features
Refer to the “Blood Glucose Monitors Reference Guide” from Diabetes Health.

SOURCE: www.diabeteshealth.com

DIABETES TESTING Tips

Diabetes test tips and tricks
By taking the blood glucose diabetes test, you can make smart choices about managing your diabetes. For example, you can decide when and how much medicine to take, when to exercise and when to eat meals or snacks. And you’ll ensure good results when you follow these tips:

Strip tips

1) Always use a fresh test strip. Diabetes test strips are only good for three months after opening the vial.
2) Code your meter. When opening a new container of diabetes test strips, be sure to code your meter using control solution and a new strip.

Sample tips

1) Wash and dry your hands. Before performing your diabetes test, use an alcohol
pad to clean the area that you're going to prick.  (Washing your hands in hot water gets the blood flowing).
2) Use a fresh lancet. Prick yourself with a fresh, sterile lancet to get a drop of blood.
Reusing lancets can lead to calluses, infections and increased pain.
3) Try the side. It may be easier and less painful to prick your fingertip on one side, not
on the pad — especially if you perform this diabetes test several times a day.
4) Dangle and squeeze. If you have trouble getting a sample, try dangling your hand below your heart for a minute then slowly squeeze from the base to the tip.

Bad results?

1) If the entire color spot area of the diabetes test strip does not show full color development (not enough blood) or appears “wet” (too much blood), discard the strip and repeat the diabetes test with a new test strip.
2) If your diabetes test results in an abnormally high or low test reading (a number you feel does not match your symptoms), use control solution to check that your meter is coded properly. Then, retest.

SOURCE: American Diabetes Association

Tips on DIABETES TESTING 2

Proper Disposal of Syringes and Lancets from www.americandiabetes.com

Laws regarding the proper disposal of your insulin syringes and lancets, vary from state to state. Primarily you would want to dispose of these items in a puncture-proof and leak-proof container, referred to as a Sharps Container. It's important to dispose of insulin syringes and lancets in order to protect individuals who may come in contact with your discarded needles, for example, your trash collector.

To find out what is required in your local area, try contacting one of the following agencies for specific information for your immediate area: Hazardous Waste Disposal, Public Health Department, or your community hospital.

Sharps containers can be purchased from your local or mail-order diabetic supplier.

Some communities may offer an exchange program in which you can swap out a filled container for a new one. Other communities may offer a mail-in service to exchange or dispose of the sharps containers.

If these options are not available and purchasing a Sharps Container is not in your budget, please follow health/safety guidelines. Use a rigid, leak & puncture-proof plastic container, such as a Clorox bottle & mark it as Bio-Hazard. When it is full, put the lid on and tape it securely shut. Place this bottle in the middle of the trash bag, and double-bag. Do not recycle hazardous materials!

SOURCE

Non Invasive DIABETES TESTING

I've been thinking of buying a non invasive DIABETES TESTING kit. I'm just not sure yet if this is good for monitoring per se or for  diagnosing diabetes. If you happen to be using any of the non-invasive DIABETES TESTING kits, please share with me your experiences by posting a comment. Thank you.

By the way, on my way to researching on this non invasive DIABETES TESTING, i found this short article naming a particular brand. I wonder if it really works.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a noninvasive blood glucose monitoring device for adults, children, and adolescents with diabetes. Noninvasive monitoring means checking blood glucose levels without puncturing the skin for a blood sample. The GlucoWatch G2 Biographer, manufactured by Cygnus Inc., was approved to detect glucose level trends and track patterns in people with diabetes. It must be used along with conventional blood glucose monitoring of blood samples. The device, which looks like a wristwatch, pulls body fluid from the skin using small electric currents. It can provide six measurements per hour for 13 hours.

Over the years, scientists have been trying to find noninvasive ways for people with diabetes to measure their blood glucose. Most methods of monitoring blood glucose require a blood sample, usually obtained by using an automatic lancing device on a finger. Some meters use a blood sample from a less sensitive area, such as the upper arm, forearm, or thigh. Other devices use a beam of light instead of a lancet to pierce the skin. SOURCE

Recommendations on DIABETES TESTING

This article is from www.mayoclinic.com. I find it very helpful in understanding the DIABETES TESTING procedures we undergo upon consultation. I hope you'll find it informative too.

In June 2009, an international committee composed of experts from the American Diabetes Association, the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and the International Diabetes Federation recommended that type 1 diabetes testing include the:

• Glycated hemoglobin (A1C) test. This blood test indicates your average blood sugar level for the past two to three months. It works by measuring the percentage of blood sugar attached to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells. The higher your blood sugar levels, the more hemoglobin you'll have with sugar attached. An A1C level of 6.5 percent or higher on two separate tests indicates you have diabetes. A result between 6 and 6.5 percent is considered prediabetes, which indicates a high risk of developing diabetes.

If the A1C test isn't available, or if you have certain conditions that can make the A1C test inaccurate — such as if you're pregnant or have an uncommon form of hemoglobin (known as a hemoglobin variant) — your doctor may use the following tests to diagnose diabetes:

• Random blood sugar test. A blood sample will be taken at a random time. Blood sugar values are expressed in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Regardless of when you last ate, a random blood sugar level of 200 mg/dL (11.1 mmol/L) or higher suggests diabetes, especially when coupled with any of the signs and symptoms of diabetes, such as frequent urination and extreme thirst.
• Fasting blood sugar test. A blood sample will be taken after an overnight fast. A fasting blood sugar level less than 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L) is normal. A fasting blood sugar level from 100 to 125 mg/dL (5.6 to 6.9 mmol/L) is considered prediabetes. If it's 126 mg/dL (7 mmol/L) or higher on two separate tests, you have diabetes.

If you're diagnosed with diabetes, your doctor will also run blood tests to check for autoantibodies that are common in type 1 diabetes. These tests help your doctor distinguish between type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The presence of ketones — byproducts from the breakdown of fat — in your urine also suggests type 1 diabetes, rather than type 2.
 
After the diagnosis

Once you've been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, you'll regularly visit your doctor to ensure good diabetes management. During these visits, the doctor will also check your A1C levels. Your target A1C goal may vary depending on your age and various other factors, but the American Diabetes Association generally recommends that A1C levels be below 7 percent, which translates to an estimated average glucose of 154 mg/dL (8.5 mmol/L).

Compared with repeated daily blood sugar tests, A1C testing better indicates how well your diabetes treatment plan is working. An elevated A1C level may signal the need for a change in your insulin regimen or meal plan.
In addition to the A1C test, the doctor will also take blood and urine samples periodically to check your cholesterol levels, thyroid function, liver function and kidney function and to test for celiac disease. The doctor will also examine you to assess your blood pressure, and he or she will check the sites where you test your blood sugar and deliver insulin.

What is Oral Glucose Tolerance Test?

This article is from www.medicine.net


Oral glucose tolerance test: A test to determine the body's ability to handle glucose .

In the test, a person fasts overnight (at least 8 but not more than 16 hours). Then first, the fasting plasma glucose is tested. After this test, the person receives 75 grams of glucose (100 grams for pregnant women). Usually, the glucose is in a sweet-tasting liquid that the person drinks. Blood samples are taken up to four times to measure the blood glucose.

For the test to give reliable results, the person must be in good health (not have any other illnesses, not even a cold). Also, the person should be normally active (not lying down, for example, as an inpatient in a hospital) and the person should not be taking medicines that could affect the blood glucose. For 3 days before the test, the person should have eaten a diet high in carbohydrates (150-200 grams per day). The morning of the test, the person should not smoke or drink coffee.

The oral glucose tolerance test measures blood glucose levels 5 times over a period of 3 hours. In a person without diabetes, the glucose levels rise and then fall quickly. In someone with diabetes, glucose levels rise higher than normal and fail to come back down as fast.

People with glucose levels between normal and diabetic have what is termed "impaired glucose tolerance" (IGT). People with IGT do not have diabetes. Each year, only 1-5% of people whose test results show IGT actually develop diabetes. And with retesting, as many as half of the people with IGT have normal oral glucose tolerance test results. Weight loss and exercise may help people with IGT return their glucose levels to normal.
Oral glucose tolerance depends on a number of factors including the ability of the intestine to absorb glucose, the power of the liver to take up and store glucose, the capacity of the pancreas to produce insulin, the amount of "active" insulin it produces, and the sensitivity of the cells in the body to the action of insulin.

To know what outcomes the test would show, click SOURCE

Tips on DIABETIC TESTING

Getting a Blood Sample from your Fingers:

All glucose meters vary in technique. Refer to your owner's manual for more information specific to your glucose meter and diabetic testing strips. However, here are some simple diabetic testing tips for getting a blood sample from your fingers.

• Wash hands with warm soapy water
• Avoid using alcohol, since it can cause drying and cracking of the skin
• Shake hand down at the side of your body to increase blood flow
• Grasp finger near the area to be lanced and squeeze gently until redness appears
• Prick the side, rather that the center of the finger, because there are fewer nerve endings
• Squeeze gently until you obtain a large drop of blood; do not apply force
• If necessary, gently rub hand from the base of the palm to the finger tip to increase flow
• When you have a large hanging drop of blood, apply it to pad on the test strip.  Or, if your strips are "sip-in" style, touch the strip to the blood droplet.

NOTE: All glucose meters and their corresponding testing strips require varying amounts of blood to acquire an accurate reading. If you have difficulty acquiring blood, consider changing to a glucose meter that requires a minimal sampling. SOURCE

What is the Fasting Plasma Glucose Test?

The Fasting Plasma Glucose Test is a DIABETES TEST that screens for diabetes by measuring the level of glucose in a person’s blood plasma after a period of fasting (not eating). It is given to nonpregnant adults who are at high risk for diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, these “high-risk” candidates for testing include everyone age 45 or older, obese individuals (people who are 120% of their recommended body weight or above), individuals with first-degree relatives (parents, children, or siblings) with diabetes, members of high-risk ethnic groups (Native Americans, Latinos, Asian-Americans, and African-Americans), women who’ve had gestational diabetes or given birth to big babies (9 pounds or more), people with high blood pressure, people with high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels at or below 35 mg/dl or triglyceride levels at or above 250 mg/dl, and individuals who have impaired fasting glucose or impaired glucose tolerance.

The fasting plasma glucose test is performed after a person has fasted for at least 8 hours. A sample of blood is taken from a vein in the arm. If the blood glucose level is greater than or equal to 126 mg/dl, the person is retested and, if the results are consistent, diagnosed with diabetes. (Until a few years ago, the diagnostic cut-off point was 140 mg/dl, but the ADA lowered it because research has shown that even people with fasting plasma glucose levels between 126 mg/dl and 140 mg/dl tend to develop the medical complications of diabetes.)
Individuals with a fasting plasma glucose level less than 126 mg/dl but greater than or equal to 110 mg/dl are classified as having impaired fasting glucose. Though they do not have diabetes, these individuals do not metabolize glucose normally, and they have an increased risk of developing high blood pressure, blood lipid disorders, and Type 2 diabetes. SOURCE

How does the A1C Test work?

An A1C (also known as glycated hemoglobin or HbA1c) test gives you a picture of your average blood glucose control for the past 2 to 3 months. The results give you a good idea of how well your diabetes treatment plan is working.

In some ways, the A1C test is like a baseball player's season batting average. Both A1C and the batting average tell you about a person's overall success. Neither a single day's blood test results nor a single game's batting record gives the same big picture.

How does this type of DIABETES TESTING work?


You know from the name that the test measures something called A1C. You may wonder what it has to do with your blood sugar control. Hemoglobin is found inside red blood cells. Its job is to carry oxygen from the lungs to all the cells of the body. Hemoglobin, like all proteins, links up with sugars such as glucose.

You know that when you have uncontrolled diabetes you have too much sugar in your bloodstream. This extra glucose enters your red blood cells and links up (or glycates) with molecules of hemoglobin. The more excess glucose in your blood, the more hemoglobin gets glycated. It is possible to measure the percentage of A1C in the blood. The result is an overview of your average blood glucose control for the past few months.

To know more about the A1C DIABETES TEST, click SOURCE.

Gestational DIABETES TESTING

The Three-Hour Glucose Tolerance Test

Why it’s done: To confirm or rule out gestational diabetes.

When it's done: After you have received an abnormal reading on the one-hour oral glucose tolerance test.

How it's done: You must fast for 10 to 14 hours before the test. Be sure to discuss any medications you are taking with your doctor to see if they may interfere with the test results.

This test is similar to the one-hour oral glucose tolerance test, except the sugary beverage now contains 100g of glucose, not 50g. Blood is first drawn before you drink the glucola. This is called your fasting glucose level. Blood is drawn again after one hour, two hours and three hours.

What your results mean:

Abnormal readings for each section of the test are:

• Fasting: 95 mg/dL or higher
• One hour:180 mg/dL or higher
• Two hours:155 mg/dL or higher
• Three hours: 140 mg/dL or higher

Tips

• Due to the 10- to 14-hour fast, most women schedule the test first thing in the morning.
• Some people may feel faint or lightheaded during this test. It is a good idea to have a designated driver and to bring food to eat when the test is over.
• Bring a magazine or book so you’ll have something to do between blood test.

To know what Gestational DIABETES is about, click SOURCE.

Where to buy DIABETES TESTING kits

Good day! Today, I found a website called the American Diabetes Wholesale. It's an online store selling everything related to diabetes. You might want to check it out but before that, I took the liberty of attaching their company information below. For those who have already tried their service, please feel free to comment and share with me/us your experiences with ADW. Thank you.

"American Diabetes Wholesale focuses on helping you to effectively manage your diabetes. We serve everyone who must pay out of pocket for testing supplies by providing top quality brand name diabetic supplies and over-the-counter pharmacy items at prices that are up to 60% lower than retail prices. As part of our commitment to helping uninsured and underinsured patients with diabetes self-management, American Diabetes Wholesale strives to remove some of the economical challenges that patients face without health coverage. We provide low cost diabetic supplies directly to you with a friendly and courteous customer support staff.

We carry an extensive stock of all major brands; blood glucose monitors, glucose test strips, lancets, and other top quality diabetic supplies, while offering significant savings to the customer. Our superior customer service staff is trained to answer all your questions about our products, service and shipping. Our convenient ordering system enables customers to purchase low cost diabetic supplies without any qualifying questionnaires or tedious paperwork. You simply buy supplies at discounted prices.

Through long-term working relationships with Physicians, Certified Diabetes Educators, Registered Nurses and other providers, American Diabetes Wholesale acts as a resource for these healthcare professionals to help their patients maintain healthy and active lifestyles. These professionals know that affordable diabetic supplies are essential to effective diabetes self management.

Diabetes affects many lives; almost every person who isn’t diabetic knows someone who is. Therefore, we joined the fight against diabetes - in the community, national and global levels, to help find a cure. As proud supporters of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators and Eye Care for Kids, we volunteer time, and sponsor countless efforts through health fairs, fundraisers and other community events.

Since 2002, we have been delivering our promise to provide quality products at affordable prices with fast shipping. We work hard at earning and keeping our customers loyalty and confidence, with a personal touch that makes a difference."

For a link to their website, please click SOURCE.

More on DIABETES TESTING

When Should I Test My Blood Sugar?

Blood sugar testing is usually recommended before meals, after meals, and at bedtime. Daily blood sugar checks are especially important for people on insulin or the sulfonylureas class of antidiabetes drugs.
Frequency and timing of blood sugar measurements should be individualized. Your health care provider will tell you when and how often you should check your blood sugar.
Note: Acute or chronic illnesses or changes in medications may affect your blood sugar level. You may need to test your blood sugar more frequently when you are ill.

Conditions That Affect Your Blood Sugar

Certain conditions may interfere with an accurate reading of blood sugar and include:

• Anemia
• Gout
• High air temperature
• Humidity
• Altitude

If you are consistently seeing abnormal results, recalibrate your meter and check the strips.
The chart below gives you an idea of where your blood sugar level should be throughout the day. Your ideal blood sugar range may be different from another person's and will change throughout the day.

Time of Test	Ideal for Adults With Diabetes
Before meals	70-130 mg/dL
After meals	Less than 180 mg/dL
*Source: American Diabetes Association, 2009

 
Home Blood Glucose Monitoring and HbA1c
Monitoring your HbA1c level is also important for diabetes control. Many home glucose monitors have the capacity to display an average blood glucose reading, which correlates with the HbA1c.
Learn more about HbA1c.

Average Blood Glucose Level (mg/dL)	HbA1c (%)
124mg/ dL	6.3
147mg/ dL	7
180mg/ dL	8
214mg/ dL	9
247mg/ dL	10
280mg/ dL	11

When Should I Call My Doctor About my Blood Sugar?

In most cases, a fasting blood sugar level more than 180 mg/dL is too high and a blood sugar level less than 70 mg/dL is too low. If you are having symptoms of low blood sugar, or if your blood sugar is less than 70 mg/dL and you have more than one unexplained low blood sugar reaction a week, call your health care provider.
If you are having symptoms of high blood sugar, or if your blood sugar is greater than 180 mg/dL for more than a week, or if you have two consecutive readings greater than 300 mg/dL, call your health care provider. In most cases, your doctor will suggest changes in your diabetes management plan.

How Do I Record My Blood Sugar Test Results?

Keep good records of any blood, urine, or ketone tests you do. Your records can help alert you to any problems. Also, these test records help your health care provider make any needed changes in your meal plan, medicine, or exercise program. Bring these records with you every time you visit your health care provider. SOURCE

Free DIABETES TESTING

Friends, I got chanced upon this website called www.lloydspharmacy.com and my attention was caught by their Free DIABETES TESTING. I hope this will be helpful to you too. God bless.

Here's what they have to say:


Lloydspharmacy was the first pharmacy retailer to establish a FREE DIABETES TESTING Service in 2003; since then, we have tested over 1 million people in the UK and nearly 60,000 of these were referred to their Doctor with high blood glucose readings. Type 2 diabetes is a progressive condition and the symptoms are often undetected for a number of years. If caught early enough, Type 2 diabetes can be controlled and the risk factors reduced.


In total, over 2million people in the UK are diagnosed as having diabetes, however it is suspected there are another ½ million people in the UK who have the condition but aren’t aware of it. Lloydspharmacy remains committed to offering those people who might be at risk a FREE DIABETES TEST.


The symptoms of diabetes aren't always obvious and can develop slowly. We can help identify your risk of developing diabetes and provide advice on reducing the chances.


Reducing the risk of diabetes

There are thought to be almost a million people living in the UK who have diabetes and don’t know it. The symptoms can often be missed, but unfortunately if the condition is ignored it can cause long-term complications including heart disease, high blood pressure and eye damage.


Some people are more at risk than others. If you're over 40, have a history of diabetes within your family, are overweight or don’t do much exercise you may be at an increased risk. Our diabetes service will help identify your risk of developing diabetes. And if you have one or more of the following symptoms it’s also a good idea to speak to a member of our pharmacy team:


• You’re always thirsty
• You pass water a lot
• You’re always tired
• Your vision is sometimes blurred
• You get cramps at night
• You often get infections
• Your wounds heal slowly
• You often get thrush or genital itching
• Your hands and feet often feel numb


A simple way to spot your risks


By identifying your risk of developing diabetes, you can make lifestyle changes to prevent it. Our diabetes service includes a simple blood test to check your blood glucose level, and help and advice on leading a healthy lifestyle. SOURCE

Various ways of DIABETES TESTING

This article on DIABETES TESTING is from www.webmd.com

Everyone with DIABETES should TEST their blood sugar, or glucose, levels regularly. Knowing your blood sugar levels allows you to alter your diabetes management strategy if your levels aren't near your target blood sugar.

Also, regular TESTING of your blood sugar can help reduce your risk of having long-term complications from DIABETES. Based on studies of people with type 1 diabetes (Diabetes Control and Complications Trial [DCCT]) and type 2 diabetes (United Kingdom Prevention of Diabetes [UKPDS]), maintaining near normal blood sugar and HbA1c levels significantly reduces the risks of complications from diabetes.

Ways to Test Your Blood Sugar With Diabetes

    Traditional Home Blood Sugar Monitoring. The traditional method of testing your blood sugar involves pricking your finger with a lancet (a small, sharp needle), putting a drop of blood on a test strip and then placing the strip into a meter that displays your blood sugar level. Meters vary in features, readability (with larger displays or spoken instructions for the visually impaired), portability, speed, size, and cost. Current devices provide results in less than 15 seconds and can store this information for future use. These meters can also calculate an average blood sugar level over a period of time. Some meters also feature software kits that retrieve information from the meter and display graphs and charts of your past test results. Blood sugar meters and strips are available at your local pharmacy.

    Meters That Test Alternative Sites. Newer meters allow you to test sites other than your fingertip; these alternative testing sites include upper arm, forearm, base of the thumb, and thigh. However, testing at alternative sites may give you results that are different from the blood sugar levels obtained from the fingertip. Blood sugar levels in the fingertips show changes more quickly than those in alternative testing sites. This is especially true when your blood sugar is rapidly changing, like after a meal or after exercise. It is also important to know that if you are checking your sugar at an alternative site while you are experiencing symptoms of hypoglycemia, you should not rely on these test results.

    Lasers to draw blood. In 1998, a laser to draw blood was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The laser device produces a precise beam of light that penetrates the skin on the finger instead of pricking it, reducing pain and discomfort.

    MiniMed Continuous Glucose Monitoring System. This device involves a small plastic catheter (very small tube) that is inserted just under the skin. It collects small amounts of fluid and measures the sugar content over 72 hours.

    GlucoWatch. In 2001, the FDA approved the GlucoWatch, a watch-like device that helps people with diabetes measure their blood sugar via tiny electric currents. It draws small amounts of fluid from the skin and measures blood sugar levels three times per hour for up to 12 hours. The GlucoWatch is considered a first step toward noninvasive, continuous sugar monitoring, but it does have some shortfalls.

According to the FDA, these newer devices should not replace the traditional daily finger pricks. SOURCE