I’m reading all this back and forth about meters and kind of chuckling at how paranoid we all get about a 10% or 20% difference.
I read @Nickyghaleb 's question about pee tests and realized that pee tests gave me an insight.
Why are we so concerned with a Bg of 100 vs. a Bg of 120? They are virtually the same thing! What we need to stress about is being at 200 for six hours or being at 30 for a couple hours. Any meter will document that, and a CGM is even better. Evidently better than that is the Force.
Back to the pee tests. I did fine checking my urine twice a day. I’m doing much better now having it taken 255 times per day, but it’s the difference of having an idea vs. having a moment by moment trend.
What I’m trying to say is that what difference in the scheme of our management and disease does 20% really make?
Absolutely. I won’t argue with that, but what do you mean they all said relatively the same thing? I didn’t understand the meaning. And thank you for responding. I really like the Relion, but it consistently reads lower than the Contour. I wasn’t sure which one to go with, but I did think this was evidence, despite the fact it goes against everything good in the universe, that Relion truly was a very good contender. One lab test… it’s just one lab draw. But it goes to Relion…
In my mind anyway. And maybe it’s not worth disturbing that right now.
Thank you. This has been eating away at my brain, and I KNOW that Contour is the highest rated meter, but I also followed all of the suggested steps and found a different result. Just one lab draw… not enough to purchase a farm on, but I’m also not a fan of disregarding a result just because it doesn’t fit (@Eric!!).
Very interesting idea. I didn’t know there was a chance of this. I assumed the lab draw WAS the standard. So this is one very good possible explanation.
It was a true blood draw collected in tube…That has nothing to do with the Verio, right? Could that still be an accuracy issue on the lab’s end?
I also took care to repeat my own sticks three times in a row. It is still technically one draw, but I did meet the “two meter test” requirement.
My Contour always reads higher as well. The only reason I’m fussing is because I calculate my calibration factor using my finger stick values. I base insulin decisions on them. A higher number reflects a higher factor and results in additional insulin. I can make the adjustment if I need to, but I’m just trying to decide if I should.
Each person’s blood composition and chemistry is unique to that person. Expecting one tool to perform best on all people is a fools errand. I would do the same thing at your next blood draw, and if you get the same results you have your answer on which meter works best for you.
You may want to go in a bit higher in BG at the next reading just to give the meters a tougher challenge.
While I am on the topic… I use a contour which as I said “always reads higher” than other meters. So one would expect that my A1C would be lower than expected based on my contour readings or my dexcom readings that are based on the contour.
But my A1C is ALWAYS higher than my meter average or my CGM 90 day average
For example - 90 day decom says A1C is 5.2% but my A1C last week was 5.6%. grumble… (I do not get worked up about this but I love to complain).
I am sure you know it, but I will point it out for others, but there are many variables in the A1c test including the rate at which your body discards red blood cells. So you may just have a lower turnover than others in the red blood cell category.
Also, grumbling about a 5.6 might get you in a bit of trouble in the wrong group.
The grumbling is about the difference not the number Just fine with the number.
I suspect that I hold onto red blood cells longer than most. Also my RBC numbers when I had this test done where above the lab range for normal so that may also contribute.
Blow your endo away by asking about getting a reticulocyte count.
I don’t know if any doctors support this kind of witchcraft, but it’s just a little bit of blood taken while they already have the needle stuck in your vein for all the other tests, so the “ask” is very small…
Of course. But that’s not the force, that’s the caffeine.
And I thought that was just a thing with Medtronic, but Dexcom does it, too, huh? ACTUALLY, I might understand why… and I’ll enjoy enlightening everyone until someone else comes along (Eric) to correct me. With a sensor delay, or lag, it takes longer to reflect a high than a low. Here’s the dangerous part—the explanation— this is because when our blood sugar is rising, there is a delay in rise in the interstitial fluid. However, when we are dropping, it is reflected in the interstitial fluid BEFORE the blood.
Or something like that.
Point being, you run with the wrong crowd and complain about your a1c of a 5.6, and you’re likely to get your butt kicked. That’s the take home.
