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Blood Glucose Testing Can Help Reverse Diabetes!

Blood Glucose Control

Critical Blood Tests

Author's Perspective: As engineers, we just love collecting and analyzing data to solve a complex problem. Blood glucose testing was a Godsend for me. It helped me to separate fact from fiction, and also how to better use the data to help me with better blood glucose control. During my recovery, my mother told me: "Son, God gave you the perfect disease for an engineer who loves mathematics." She was right -- being able to collect and analyze the data put me in a comfort zone despite all of the serious health issues I was facing at that time.

During my research, I discovered that every single book written on diabetes and every single doctor and diabetes expert only used blood glucose testing to determine the drug dosage, the number of carbs that a diabetic could eat, and whether there was a problem with a specific food.

None of these other diabetes books or experts explained how to leverage the data to actually reverse the diabetes! Death to Diabetes is the only book and the only program that leverages the data (and the other blood testing data) to reverse the disease! In addition, so that you don't have to wait to get the test results from the medical lab, the data can also be used to extrapolate hemoglobin a1c readings. Also, the data can be used to evaluate glucose stabilization and slope factors. But, then, that's what we engineers do ...

The Power of Blood Glucose Testing

Blood glucose testing is essential for all people with diabetes -- if they Blood Glucose Test Finger Prick want to properly manage their diabetes and have the opportunity to prevent future complications and possibly reverse their diabetes.

For most people attempting to achieve good glucose control, four or more tests a day are usually required. Readings should always be recorded, as well as the food eaten and medications or insulin doses taken. This information can then be used to adjust medications, meal planning, and exercise to greatly improve blood glucose levels. Although testing can clarify unclear symptoms, the major reason to test is to improve your blood glucose results, and to maintain excellent results once control targets are achieved.

Because of the major advances of medical science and technology, blood glucose testing is a very important tool for diabetics to track the progress of their blood glucose levels. Blood glucose (BG) testing is a very powerful diagnostic tool. Blood Glucose Testing Helps Reverse Type 2 Diabetes

Next to nutrition and exercise, blood glucose testing is the most important key to effectively control the disease. And, for Type 2 diabetics, it has the power to reverse the disease – once effective nutritional, exercise and spiritual programs have been implemented.

Unfortunately, most diabetics are not taught how to use the blood glucose test data to reverse the disease! Most diabetics are taught how to use the data to figure out their drug dosage or the amount of carbs they can eat.

Most diabetics don't like to test for fear of a high reading, and being reminded that they have little control over their disease.

One of the advantages of having an engineer explain how to use the data is that engineers like Mr. McCulley understand the intricacies of the data.

Unfortunately, most diabetics either do not test their blood glucose on a frequent-enough basis or do not understand the appropriate corrective actions to take based on their test results. Consequently, most diabetics can never get to a point where they can proactively control their blood glucose level and their diabetes.

By increasing your blood glucose testing, you can more readily determine the potential cause and effect relationships between your high glucose readings and the events that may be driving those high readings, e.g. meals, drugs, exercise, stress, illness, emotional state, menstrual cycle start (for women). Keep in mind that there will be times when your glucose levels will be high for no apparent reason, but, the more you test, the more infrequent will be those types of occurrences.

Blood glucose testing is probably the most misunderstood and least-performed activity of the eight “living” elements for managing and controlling diabetes, so do not overlook this critical activity.

Blood Glucose Tests & Normal Ranges

The fasting blood glucose test is performed by pricking your finger and placing a drop of blood on a test strip. This drop of blood is analyzed by your blood glucose meter and translated into a number that is displayed in the window of your glucose meter. This number indicates your blood glucose level at that particular moment and is based on what you ate and did during the past few hours since your last meal.

The following is the set of normal ranges for blood glucose levels.

Fasting glucose level before meals: 80 to 120 mg/dl

Optimum Range: 80 to 100 mg/dl

Optimum Running Average: less than 100 mg/dl

Postprandial glucose level (2 hours after meals): 90 to 130 mg/dl

Optimum Range: 80 to 110 mg/dl

Optimum Running Average: less than 105 mg/dl

Refer to the following table, which correlates the hemoglobin A1C percentages and blood glucose meter readings.

HbA1C (%)	4	4.4	5	5.5	6	7	8	9	10	11
BG (mg/dl)	65	80	100	120	135	170	205	240	275	310
BG (mmol/l)	3.6	4.4	5.5	6.6	7.5	9.4	11.4	13.3	15.3	17.2

Note: For non-U.S. countries, to convert mg/dl to mmol/l, divide the number by 18. Refer to the table above to compare readings in mg/dl vs. mmol/l.

Frequency of Testing

The frequency and timing of tests will vary depending on an individual's therapy, goals, and resources. When any changes occur in food, exercise, medications, illness, or travel, more testing should occur.

Type 1: before meals and bedtime, 1-2 hours after meals and during night as needed.
Type 2: before meals and/or bedtime, 1-2 hours after meals as needed.

Before you begin testing, have your healthcare provider show you the best techniques. When testing be sure to follow the manufacturer's directions and these helpful suggestions:

Wash your hands (anything on your hands can change the reading).
Collect the amount of blood required.
Test again if reading seems incorrect. Use another meter to double check.
Clean your meter as often as required.
Record and date/time your test results.

Here are some tips for accurate readings:

Be sure to match the code on the meter or the meter's code chip with the code on the strip container.
Check the date on the strips for freshness.
Store strips so they don't deteriorate (protect from heat, light, and humidity)
Check for low battery if results aren't accurate

Be sure to keep a good record of all tests. Discuss blood glucose goal ranges with your healthcare provider. Discuss how and when to make changes to your diabetes care--food, exercise, medications, insulin doses. A hemoglobin A1C test is a simple lab test that shows the average blood sugar level for the past two to three months.

Hemoglobin A1C Testing

The hemoglobin A1c test is a simple lab test that shows the average amount of sugar in your blood over the last two to three months. It's the best way to find out if your blood sugar is under control on a long period of time.

All people with type 2 diabetes should have a hemoglobin A1c test at least twice a year. If your treatment changes or if your blood sugar level stays too high, you should get a hemoglobin A1c test at least every three months until your blood glucose level improves. Regular testing will help you and your doctor to track your blood glucose levels over time and plan long-term treatment options to reach your target level of control.

The hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) test, sometimes called a glycated hemoglobin test, measures the proportion of hemoglobin molecules in your red blood cells that have glucose attached to them (and thus are "glycated"). Once glycated, a hemoglobin molecule stays that way throughout the 3- to 4-month life-cycle of its red blood cell. Red blood cells are continually dying and being replaced, so at any given time they have a range of ages in your body.

In a sense, your blood tells the history of your glucose level over the last few months. For example, if your levels were not in control three weeks ago, glycated hemoglobin will persist in the blood cells that were active at that time. If your blood glucose tends to go up at night, when you are less likely to self-monitor, your HbA1c test will indicate a higher average level of blood sugar than you found through self-monitoring.

The hemoglobin A1c goal for people with type 2 diabetes is less than 6%. The findings of a major diabetes study, the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), showed that people who keep their hemoglobin A1c levels close to 6% have a much better chance of delaying or preventing complications that affect the eyes, kidneys, and nerves than people with hemoglobin A1c of approximately 8%.

The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS), a 20-year study that involved more than 5000 people with type 2 diabetes, showed that intensive blood glucose control significantly reduces the risk of major diabetic eye disease and early kidney damage. The study concluded that complications from diabetes should not be seen as a natural and expected outcome-good management of blood glucose and blood pressure can prevent or delay complications for many people.

Note: For information about blood glucose control, refer Chapters 11 and 14 of Death to Diabetes, and this web page, or get the Diabetes Management workbook.

Note: Read Chapter 11 of the Death to Diabetes book or get the Power of Blood Glucose Testing Ebook to learn how to use testing to control and even reverse your diabetes.

Blood Gluose Meters

Accuracy of Blood Glucose Meters

The accuracy of blood glucose testing depends on many factors including:

the quality of your meter.
the quality of your test strips.
how well you do the test.
your hematocrit (the amount of red blood cells in the blood). If you have a high hematocrit, you may test low for blood glucose. Or, if you have a low hematocrit, you may test high for glucose. If you know your hematocrit is low or high, discuss with your health care provider how it may affect your glucose testing.
interfering substances (some substances, such as Vitamin C and uric acid, may interfere with your glucose testing). Check the package insert for your meter and test strips to find out what substances may affect the testing accuracy.
Altitude, temperature, and humidity (high altitude, low and high temperatures, and humidity can cause unpredictable effects on glucose results). Check the meter and test strip package inserts for more information. Store and handle the meter and strips according to instructions.

Choosing a Glucose Meter

You can purchase more than 25 different types of meters. They differ in several ways including

amount of blood needed for each test
how easy it is to use
pain associated with using the product
accuracy
testing speed
overall size
ability to store test results in memory
cost of the meter
cost of the test strips used
doctor's recommendation
technical support provided by the manufacturer
special features such as automatic timing, error codes, large display screen, or spoken instructions or results

Talk to your health care practitioner about glucose meters and how to use them.

You can get information about your meter and test strips from several different sources including the toll free number in the user manual or the manufacturer's web site. If you have an urgent problem, always contact your healthcare provider or a local emergency room for advice.

How do you compare your home test glucose values with the laboratory values? Most home blood glucose meters in the U.S. measure glucose in whole blood. Most lab tests, in contrast, measure glucose in plasma. Plasma is blood without the cells. A lab test of your blood glucose will be about 10-15% higher than the value given by your meter. Look at the instructions for your meter to find out if it gives its results as "whole blood" or "plasma equivalent." Many meters now sold give values that are "plasma equivalent," which means they can be compared more directly to lab test values.

How accurate are the home blood glucose meters? They are not as accurate as you think. And, you will not get one specific reading, even when using the "control" liquid. Why?
1) The meter itself has an accuracy of about +/- 10 points
2) The control liquid is NOT designed to one specific number, so any particular bottle of solution may fit anywhere within that range.
3) The control liquid has an expiration date. If the bottle is close to that date, the number will be slightly different. If the bottle is expired, then the reading could be totally wrong.
4) All control liquids are NOT the same! Use ONLY the brand of control liquid sold by the manufacturer of the meter. DO not mix manufacturers.
5) The test strips have expiration dates. if the TEST STRIPS are out of date, THEIR readings will be wrong, too.

In addition, different site testing will also cause readings to vary.

There so many variables between meters that your "method" of testing with several different meters would be judged a wrong thing to do. Get one meter, and stick with it. If you use another meter (for alternate site testing), do not try to compare the readings between meters!

Should you use generic or "third party" test strips? You may choose test strips that are made by a different company than the one that made meter. Sometimes, generic test strips are cheaper. If you choose generic test strips

make sure the generic strips will work with your meter. Check the label of the test strips to make sure they will work with the make and model of your meter. Just because the generic test strip looks like it will work does not mean that it will work.
watch for inconsistent results. If you get poor results, try strips made or recommended by the maker of your meter until you again get consistent results.

How can you check your meter's performance? There are three ways to make sure your meter works properly:

Use liquid control solution
- every time you open a new container of test strips
- occasionally as you use the container of test strips
- whenever you get unusual results
You test a drop of these solutions just like you test a drop of your blood. The value you get should match that written on the liquid control solution bottle.
Use electronic checks. Every time you turn on your meter, it does an electronic check. If it detects a problem it will give you an error code. Look in your owner's manual to see what the error codes mean and how to fix the problem.
Compare your meter with a laboratory meter. Take your meter with you to your next appointment with your health care provider. Ask your provider to watch your technique to make sure you are using the meter correctly. Ask your healthcare provider have your blood tested with a routine laboratory method. If the values you obtain on your glucose meter match the laboratory values, then your meter is working well and you are using good technique.

What should you do if your meter malfunctions? If your meter malfunctions, you should tell your health care professional and the company that made your meter and strips.

Can you test blood glucose from sites other than your fingers? Some new meters allow you to test blood from the base of your thumb, upper arm, forearm, thigh, or calf. If your glucose changes rapidly, these other sites may not give you accurate results. You should probably use your fingers to get your blood for testing if any of the following applies

you have just taken insulin
you think your blood sugar is low
you are not aware of symptoms when you become hypoglycemic
the site results do not agree with the way you feel
you have just eaten
you have just exercised
you are ill
you are under stress

Useful Tips to Increase Accuracy and Reduce Errors in Test Results from Glucose Meters

Have you ever wondered why you got a bad glucose meter test result when there is nothing obvious wrong with your meter, your test strips are new, and you’ve been running glucose tests for years? The simple answer is that glucose meters are not perfect, and neither are the people who use them! This chart lists some tips to help you get the most accurate results from your glucose meter.

Make sure you...	Because
Follow the user instructions about sample size. Repeat the test if you have any doubt that enough blood was added.	If there is insufficient blood on the test strip, the meter may not be able to read the glucose level accurately. Although many meters are designed to alert you when the sample size is too small, some meters detect only large errors. There have been cases where meters have displayed glucose levels that were less than half the actual levels without displaying error messages.
Insert the test strip completely into the meter guides.	When a test strip is not fully inserted into the meter, the meter cannot read the entire strip area. Many meters are designed to detect strip placement errors and will not provide a result. But, just as described above, many meters detect only large problems. There have been cases where meters have displayed glucose levels that were significantly higher or lower than the actual levels when there was only a small error in strip placement.
Keep the meter clean.	Even small amounts of blood, grease, or dirt on a meter’s lens can alter the reading.
Check the test strip package to make sure the strips are compatible with your meter.	Test strips are not always interchangeable, and meters cannot always detect incompatible strips. Test strips that look alike may have different chemical coatings. Small variations in strip dimensions can also affect results.
Check the expiration date on the test strips.	As a test strip ages, its chemical coating breaks down. If the strip is used after this time, it may give inaccurate results.
Enter the correct calibration code from the outside of the strip bottle each time you run a test (if applicable).	Results can vary significantly between manufactured lots of reagent strips; the calibration codes help the meter compensate for these variations.
Run quality control as directed.	Running quality control is typically the only way to know when test strips have gone bad. Test strips do not always last until the expiration date on the bottle. This may be because the manufacturer has over-estimated the dating or because the cap was not replaced promptly after use.
Check the results from your meter against laboratory results as often as possible.	Over time, test systems can drift apart. Since results from either test system maybe used to treat your patients, it is important for the systems to remain synchronized.
Question results that are not consistent with physical symptoms. If a test result seems wrong, have a blood sample tested by the main laboratory.	There may be many reasons why a test result is incorrect. In addition to the items above, some physiological conditions such as dehydration, hyperosmolarity, high hematocrit, or shock may significantly affect test results.