Diabetes is a rising health concern all over the world, and in India, more than 77 million people live with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes every day. According to studies, in more than 57% of cases, it remains undetected.
Diabetes has been termed as the ‘silent killer’ condition by medical experts but with a regulated lifestyle, and regular treatment you can stay fit and healthy. To do so, you need to eat healthy meals, exercise daily, quit smoking, sleep well, manage stress, maintain a healthy BMI (body mass index) and keep track of your blood sugar level with the help of a quality glucometer.
If you find it bewildering to choose a glucometer amongst the hundreds available in both online and offline shops, here is a concise list of some of the best and most affordable glucometers and glucometer strip refill boxes you can find in India that are recommended by doctors.
| PRODUCT NAME | CHECK PRICE |
| Accu-chek Active Glucometer Kit (with Free 10 Strips) | BUY NOW |
| Accu-chek Active Glucometer Test Strips Box Of 50 | BUY NOW |
| Dr Morepen Gluco One Bg 03 Glucometer Test Strips Box Of 50 | BUY NOW |
| Dr Morepen Bg 03 Glucometer Kit (with 25 Strips) | BUY NOW |
| One Touch Select Plus Glucometer Test Strips Box Of 25 | BUY NOW |
| Dr Morepen Bg 03 Glucometer Test Strips Box Of 25 | BUY NOW |
| Onetouch Select Plus Simple Glucometer With 10 Free Strips | BUY NOW |
| Contour Plus Glucometer Test Strips Box Of 50 | BUY NOW |
| Accu-chek Instant Glucometer Test Strips Box Of 50 | BUY NOW |
| Contour Plus One Glucometer Kit (with Free 25 Strips) | BUY NOW |
| One Touch Select Plus Glucometer Test Strips Box Of 50 | BUY NOW |
| Freestyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System ( Reader & Sensor) Glucometer | BUY NOW |
| Accu-chek Active Glucometer Test Strips Box Of 100 | BUY NOW |
| Accu-chek Active Glucometer Test Strips Strip Of 25 | BUY NOW |
| Accu-chek Instant S Glucometer Kit (with Free 10 Strips) | BUY NOW |
| One Touch Ultra Glucometer Test Strips Box Of 25 | BUY NOW |
| Accu-chek Active Glucometer Test Strips Box Of 10 | BUY NOW |
| Accu-chek Instant Glucometer (with Bluetooth Technology And Mysugr Management App & 10 Free Strips) | BUY NOW |
| Apollo Sugar Smart Glucometer Kit (with Free 200 Gold Plated Test Strips) | BUY NOW |
| One Touch Verio Glucometer Test Strips Box Of 50 | BUY NOW |
To get quick results within 4-5 seconds, choose Accu-Chek Active Glucometer that comes with 10 complimentary strips. This device needs to be used in combination with the Accu Check Active Strips to determine the glucose level in the blood approximately. It is a handy self-testing kit that you can easily use at home or even when you are travelling.
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Get your blood glucose levels in seconds with the aid of the Accu-Chek Active Glucometer test strips box of 50. These strips need no manual coding and require only a small drop of blood. These strips are compliant for patients suffering from both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
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The Dr Morpen Gluco One Glucometer test strip box is based on electrochemical test strip technology. This is primarily intended for at-home use but you can also use it in the professional sphere. This when used in combination with Dr Morepen glucometer will read out your result in seconds, thus this is an ideal product for people with weak eyesight.
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The Dr Morepen glucometer device is one of the most efficient machines in the market that gives you accurate results. It takes only 5 seconds to generate readings and can store up to 300 results.
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The One Touch Glucometer Test Strip box of 25 strips needs to be used along with the One Touch Select Plus Simple Blood Glucose Monitoring System. The test strips are highly reliable and give you accurate results.
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Want a reliable brand to check your blood glucose levels daily? Then Dr Morepen BG 03 glucometer test box of 25 strips is the correct product for you. Reliable and fast, the test strips can be used at home as well as professionally in clinics.
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One Touch Select Plus Simple Glucometer as the name suggests is a device designed for simple use. It gives you accurate results with just a touch. Comes with a Delica Plus Lancing device system and free strips. The brand is among the most preferred ones by diabetologists in India.
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The Contour Plus Glucometer Test Strips need to be used in combination with the Contour Plus Glucometer. The box contains 50 strips, perfect for daily use by diabetic patients.
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Are you a diabetic whose blood glucose levels varies greatly? Then the Acuu-Chek Instant Glucometer test strip box is the perfect blood sampling refill pack that provides you instant readings. To be used in combination with Accu-Chek Active Glucometer, the product is simple to use and requires no manual instructions.
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The Contour Plus One Glucometer Kit is a wireless device that can be Bluetooth-enabled. It helps to keep a check on your blood glucose levels daily and gives quick results.
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The One Touch Select Plus Glucometer test box containing 50 strips is ideal for diabetic patients who have a hard time stepping out and getting lab tests done. The box containing 50 strips will last you approximately two months given the frequency of use.
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People sensitive to lancing devices will be liberated from the pain of routine finger pricks with the Freestyle Libre Flash Glucose Monitoring System. This device comes with a sensor that accurately scans your blood glucose levels when worn on the back of your upper arm and the reader gives your results instantly.
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The Accu-Chek Active Glucometer Test Strip box comes with 100 refill strips that are designed for one-time use. Designed to be user-friendly, these strips are perfect for everyone and people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
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The Accu-Chek Active Glucometer Test box of 25 strips is perfect for at-home use. These strips require no manual coding and are easy to use.
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To quickly check your blood glucose levels in less than 5 seconds on an LCD display, use the Accu-Chek Instant S Glucometer Kit that comes with complimentary free test strips. The device also features a range indicator that makes reading your stats easier.
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The One Touch Ultra Glucometer Test Strip box of 25 strips can be used conveniently from the comfort of your own home. Only a small quantity of blood is required.
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Accu-Chek Active Glucometer Test strip box of 10 strips is the perfect refill pack for home testing. Efficient and accurate results within seconds, Accu-Chek is one of the bestselling brands for glucometers and test strips in India.
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The Accu-Chek Instant Glucometer is the smart device that you have been looking for!
Comes with Bluetooth technology, the machine is compliant with both Apple and Android smartphones. Once enabled, it can seamlessly connect with the MySugar Mobile App to give you accurate results and store all your previous readings.
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The Apollo Sugar Smart Glucometer is a digital device that provides you with complimentary 200 gold plated test strips. Once the drop of blood has been applied for testing, the information is transferred to your diabetic care team without needing wifi support. The device is perfect for self-monitoring at home. The kit includes video consultations from nutritionists and diabetes educators.
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The One Touch Verio Glucometer lets you test your blood sugar level at home easily by extracting blood samples quickly from your fingertips.
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This is the most important factor when purchasing a glucometer. Spend a good amount of time reading customer reviews before zeroing on a glucometer. Once you have bought it, do not forget to carry out a quality test by comparing the results with that of lab results taken at the same time and under similar circumstances (meal components, exercise, medication).
The glucometer you purchase should be easy to use given your needs. If you suffer from vision impairment, it should come with a bright display or you can even opt for a glucometer that has a talking option.
Go for a glucometer that needs less than one microlitre of blood to perform the test. If you are sensitive to test pricks or have a tendency to feel nauseated upon seeing blood, this can kind of a glucometer will be helpful. Plus, you will have fewer chances of getting ‘insufficient blood’ error notifications if the quantity required is less, to begin with.
The test time for your blood glucose level should be less than 5 seconds.
Make sure that the glucometer you purchase comes with automatic coding. This minimises the chances of miscalibration.
Many glucometers are these days smartphone-enabled. Meaning you can sync them with an app on your phone and store your daily data. This is extremely helpful when you are making your routine visit to your physician who can just check your stats and decide on the next course of action.
To use a glucometer in the correct way, here is what you should do:
Ans: If you have type 1 or type 2 or gestational diabetes, you will need to check your blood glucose levels frequently. Stress, food, exercise, medication and several other health factors can affect your levels. People with type 1 diabetes especially, must keep track of their blood glucose levels at all times.
Ans: To use a glucometer, first you need to get your kit ready and wash your hands thoroughly. Then you need to switch on the machine and insert the test strip. Prick your finger and squeeze out blood. Place this drop of blood at the tip of the test strip. Wipe away any residual drops of blood.
Ans: To verify if the glucometer you have purchased is giving you precise results, check your blood glucose levels at the same time you go for lab tests. Then keep the two tests side by side and compare. Home kit results that are within 15% of the lab readings are taken to be accurate.
Ans: A glucometer is a device that helps to determine the degree of glucose in the solution. Mostly glucometers are based on electrochemical technology that makes use of electrochemical test strips that help carry out the test. The drop of blood is placed on this strip to generate results.
Ans: Factors such as strip storage, ageing and strip manufacturing variances can play a part in manipulating the glucometer accuracy.
Ans: Some side effects of using a glucometer are pain, muscle soreness, skin irritation and sensitivity.
For people with diabetes, blood sugar monitoring is a part of their health and fitness routine. Since running lab tests every once in a while can be inconvenient, it is advisable to run blood glucose tests at home using glucose meters. However, it is necessary to exercise discretion while choosing a suitable glucose monitoring device. You must do good research about the products available in the market and their features to make an informed purchase decision.
We can divide glucose monitoring devices into three different types: non-invasive, invasive and continuous.
If you use the meter to scan the area, you get the blood glucose level instantly. This is revolutionary for people with diabetes who no longer have to inject themselves half a dozen times a day or replace test strips and lancets. Nevertheless, options in the market are limited, and the results so far have displayed that the systems offered are nearly not as accurate as the invasive ones. The sensors of these systems also struggle to stay in place.
However, the CGM has its constraints, such as maintenance issues and difficulties in understanding and interpreting the data. There is the issue of sensor malfunctions; the difference between capillary blood glucose and the value displayed by continuous glucose measurement can disorient the user.
You should always know the basics of a glucose monitoring machine to know how it works. First, you need to insert a test strip, followed by poking a clean fingertip with the needle to obtain a drop of blood. The test strip should be carefully touched to the blood; a blood glucose reading would then appear on the screen.
HbA1c is known as glycosylated hemoglobin test. This blood test is used to find out the average blood sugar levels for 03 months. I routinely suggest HbA1c to my patients as it suggests long term control.
Dr. M.G. Kartheeka, MBBS, MD
When used properly, blood glucose meters are normally accurate in how they measure glucose. Here are several factors that need to be considered before choosing a blood glucose meter.
A very common but ignored part of glucometers is Establishing the accuracy is very challenging. Glucometers Only analyze whole blood, while glucose is unstable in whole blood.
Dr. Ashish Bajaj, M.B.B.S., M.D
In conclusion, we can say that it is imperative to make sure that the blood glucose meters one is investing in are worth the time, money, trust and effort. Always remember that nothing should come in the way of your good health.
Managing type 2 diabetes is closely linked to choosing the right blood glucose meter for monitoring glucose levels.
If you have type 2 diabetes or know someone close to you who has this condition, the doctor may have recommended you (or them) to invest in a good blood glucose meter to monitor your blood sugar level.
For diabetes patients, managing their lifestyle is important because even the slightest of changes can cause a spike or decline in sugar, causing severe complications if not diagnosed well in time.
So, to know how to control type 2 diabetes, you have to know how to buy the right blood glucose meter to monitor and manage type 2 diabetes.
Investing in the right blood glucose meter is helpful for various reasons.
To educate yourself on how to control type 2 diabetes, you first have to know about buying the right blood glucose meter.
Here are some simple tips to keep in mind while purchasing a monitoring meter to choose the best blood glucose meter to manage type 2 diabetes:
1. Check how easy it is for you to use this meter
People with type 2 diabetes have to know how to use a blood glucose meter for monitoring their daily glucose level. If the person is not comfortable using the meter or does not know how to use it by themselves, the blood glucose meter may not be the right choice for them.
User error (not taking the blood sample properly) is a major reason why readings don’t turn out to be accurate. So, choosing a user-friendly blood glucose meter is important.
2. Make sure the test strips are readily available
Test strips have to be bought separately and used every time to take the blood sugar reading with a meter. Although third-party test strips are available at many medical stores, you must check if they are compatible with the monitoring meter.
3. Does the size suit your needs?
A glucose meter won’t do any good if you can’t carry it easily or read from it comfortably. Meters come in many different sizes for people with different needs.
If the patient has weak eyesight, they may purchase a bigger meter that shows the readings clearly and won’t stress out the eyes. Whereas, for someone who travels a lot, buying a big meter can be difficult to take everywhere. Such people should always go for a smaller meter.
4. What are the additional features?
A wide variety of blood glucose meters are available in the market. Some come with a background light that makes it easier to read even in low lighting, some have an audio option, and some can even store data for past readings, which makes it easier to maintain a record. Choose the meter which has additional features that suit your requirements best.
5. Get the meter approved by your doctor before purchasing
It is a good idea to check with the person who knows best how to control type 2 diabetes – your doctor. They may have a different opinion than yours because of their vast experience and certified knowledge about type 2 diabetes and your condition. So, get your doctor’s green light before you buy the meter.
By following these tips, you can better educate yourself to control type 2 diabetes by regularly monitoring your blood sugar levels. Keep these suggestions in mind when you purchase a blood glucose meter.
