Criticism of inaccurate blood glucose meters

Insulin pumps and blood glucose meters are too inaccurate

27.09.2012

Many blood glucose meters are too inaccurate, according to a statement from the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Deviations of ten to twenty percent exist between the various devices, the experts reported on Tuesday in Berlin in the run-up to the 48th Annual Meeting of the EASD in early October.

Professor med. Andreas Pfeiffer, Diabetologist of the Berlin Charité and Head of the Department of Clinical Nutrition at the German Institute for Nutrition Research, explained that the values ​​of the different blood glucose meters vary widely. In order to correctly dose the required insulin, however, it is necessary to determine the blood sugar level as accurately as possible. With deviations of up to twenty percent, high blood sugar could be almost a question of the diagnostic device and not of the disease itself.

Deviations of up to 20 percent in blood glucose meters
Determining accurate blood glucose levels and accurately dosing insulin pumps is essential for effective diabetes management, experts say. The EASD President, Professor Andrew Boulton from Manchester, criticized at the press conference in Berlin on Tuesday, „that the current European Union quality control systems for blood glucose meters, insulin pumps and sensors in the field of diabetology are completely inadequate.“ This would make the self-measurements of blood sugar levels, which are the basis of any successful insulin treatment, much more difficult. Diabetes patients would have to rely on the accuracy of these gauges, Boulton continued. According to the expert, there are also considerable deficits with insulin pumps. The insulin pumps would give people with diabetes a very good treatment, but the approval and quality control in Europe is much worse than, for example, in the US ... Such negligence would „No one can accept cars“, added Viktor Jörgen from the European Society for Diabetes Research (EASD).

Improvement of quality controls required by the EU
Given the shortcomings, EADS called for much stricter quality assurance criteria for blood glucose self-monitoring devices. Also, diabetes patients should, „whose insulin pumps or sensors are paid by payers are generally recorded in registers in order to detect technical problems of the equipment in good time“, said the EADS press release on Tuesday. The European Society for Diabetes Research is extremely critical of the current thinking at EU level, expressing its concern that the latest EU drafts will not bring any progress here.

World's largest diabetes congress in Berlin
At the world's largest diabetes congress, around 18,000 participants from 130 countries are expected in Berlin from October 1-5 to find out about and critically discuss the latest results of diabetes research. For example, there are presentations on possible connections between insulin treatments and cancers on the program. The much-discussed, supposed connection between viral diseases and type 1 diabetes is also being addressed here. Furthermore, the potential of the new generation of diabetes drugs, which cause a lowering of blood sugar levels without the risk of low blood sugar, will be discussed. (Fp)

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Image: Michael Horn