A Blood Glucose Meter from the Future

Sweet Life editor Bridget McNulty was given the chance to test out the latest blood glucose meter on the market. Here’s what she had to say…

I was lucky enough to be given the new Accu-Chek Connect blood glucose meter to test just as it came on the market and I have to say I feel as if I’ve been given a glimpse of the future…

For starters, the Accu-Chek Connect isn’t just a meter. I’m used to having my meter to test my blood sugar and then having to manually input my blood glucose readings into my phone to email to my doctor. During my pregnancy I was very good at this because I had to keep in very strict control, but let me tell you, having a newborn baby around makes even the simple act of testing blood sugar tricky – never mind having to find the time to put those test results into an app and send it to my doctor!

That’s why it was such a relief to be able to pair my blood glucose meter and my phone with my computer, essentially closing the loop. It couldn’t be easier. The Accu-Chek Connect not only sends your blood sugar results to an online logbook (cutting out the need to manually input them into an app or write them down) but also gives your doctor access to that logbook, so that you can both share the same information. What I love about this is that it maximizes the time you have to spend with your doctor actually talking about problems or issues, rather than looking at your blood sugar results. You’re both on the same page and can dive right in to solve any issues, because it’s clear what those issues are.

Even better, it doesn’t just give you a logbook, but also translates your blood sugar readings into graphs that show you trends and what an average day or week looks like. I don’t know about you, but left to myself it can take me some time to pick up on a trend (like my blood sugar spiking after breakfast, for example) because there’s so much going on in a day… Especially with a young baby! This takes all the guesswork out of wondering if there’s a pattern to your blood sugar, because it shows you – visually – what that pattern is.

Sounds pretty amazing, doesn’t it? Believe it or not, that’s not all the app can do. It also has a little thing called the Bolus Advisor where, with help from your doctor, you can input your carbohydrate to insulin ratio so that it can advise you how much insulin to take based on your latest blood glucose result. All you need to know is your carbohydrate ratio and your insulin sensitivity (both of which you’ll be able to figure out with the help of your doctor) and you can take all the guesswork out of how much insulin to take with each meal… And you can change the ratio for different times of day if necessary. It’s like having the knowledge of an insulin pump, but without actually having the pump.

Combine all of these features – the fact that your meter and your phone and your computer can talk to each other (and your doctor!), the data makes sense to you and your doctor, and you can get proven advice on how much insulin to take and you have what I think is a pretty remarkable blood glucose meter. What I love about it is that it takes the hassle out of sharing results with your doctor, let’s you instantly see a trend online, and takes the guesswork out of mathematical calculations when your blood sugar isn’t behaving. It really is a blood glucose meter from the future, don’t you think?

Find out more at www.accu-chek.co.za