New LifeScan Meter Alerts Users About Blood Sugar Patterns
LifeScan has introduced the OneTouch® VerioTM IQ, a meter that not only tracks and displays blood sugar patterns, but also announces them with messages, such as “Looks like your blood sugar has been running LOW around this time.”
The meter, which incorporates what LifeScan calls “PatternAlertTMTechnology,” is specifically designed for diabetes patients who take insulin. LifeScan’s reasoning is that insulin users are at greater risk of hypoglycemia than non-insulin users and must monitor their blood sugar throughout the day to adjust for meals and physical activity.
“All meters will tell you your blood sugar level at a particular moment in time, but this is the only one to compare your current result with your previous results and proactively alert you to important patterns you might not even be aware exist,” says Michael Pfeifer, chief medical officer at LifeScan, Inc.
The PatternAlert Technology reflects the recommendation by diabetes experts that patients identify patterns of highs and lows that last at least two or three days in a row.
A “High Glucose Pattern” consists of three before-meal highs within the same three-hour window over the past five days. High (before meal) results are preset to 130 mg/dL or above to match current American Diabetes Association guidelines, but can be personalized to any result at or above 100 to 160 mg/dL.
A “Low Glucose Pattern” consists of two lows within the same three-hour window over the past five days. Low results are preset to 70 mg/dL or below to match current ADA guidelines, but can be personalized to any result at or below 90 to 50 mg/dL.
When the meter finds a pattern, a message appears, such as “Heads up. Your before-meal glucose has been running HIGH around this time.” Patients may choose to view additional information about each test result in the pattern, such as the blood sugar value, day, time, and type of result (before or after a meal, for example).
A companion OneTouch® VerioTM IQ Pattern Guide is available to patients from healthcare professionals or by contacting OneTouch directly at 888-567-3003. The guide offers possible causes and potential solutions for high and low patterns, based on guidance from leading diabetes experts.
