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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Waltham, MA (March 6, 2012) – A recently published study evaluated the accuracy of 20 different blood glucose meters on samples with abnormal hematocrit levels. The study shows Nova Diabetes Care glucose meters, including Nova Max Plus and Nova Max Link, to be more accurate than other leading brands on samples that have abnormal hematocrit levels ranging from 25-60%.
1
The study confirms findings of another study published in November 2011,
showing Nova Max Plus to be the most accurate among five other glucose meter brands
when testing blood with abnormally low levels of hematocrit.
2
Abnormally low levels of hematocrit (medical term: anemia) occur in approximately 25%
of people with diabetes and are a leading cause of inaccuracy for most glucose meters.
3,4,5
Most glucose meters assume blood samples have a normal level of hematocrit. If a
person’s hematocrit is lower than normal (anemia), glucose readings can be erroneously
high, increasing the risk of undetected hypoglycemia or mis-dosing of insulin. Two
groups in particular frequently exhibit lower than normal adult hematocrit levels: children
and the elderly. Low hematocrit levels are also associated with diabetes complicated by
kidney disease, pregnancy, or heart disease.
6
In this study presented at the February, 2012 Advanced Technologies and Treatment for
Diabetes International Meeting, 20 glucose meters were evaluated for hematocrit
interference. The comprehensive study incorporated blood samples ranging from 90 to
350 mg/dL glucose and hematocrit levels ranging from 25-60%. Only 7 glucose meters
met the investigators criteria for satisfactory hematocrit performance. Four of the seven
were glucose meters produced by Nova including Nova Max Plus, Nova Max Link, and
Nova meters sold internationally under the brands Glucomen LX and GlucoFix Mio. About Nova Diabetes Care
Nova Diabetes Care is the exclusive distributor of the Nova Max brand of consumer
glucose meters and strips in the United States. Nova Diabetes Care is dedicated to
improving lives of people with diabetes by providing advanced technology products
along with 24 hour, best in class customer support. Nova Diabetes Care representatives
are available throughout the U.S. to provide Nova Max sample meters and educational
materials for diabetes educators and other healthcare professionals, and educational
programs for their patients. Nova Cares toll free customer service line is available 24
hours per day, 365 days per year to answer questions and provide support concerning the
use of Nova Max products. Further information about Nova Diabetes Care and Nova
Max products can be found a www.novacares.com or by calling our toll-free customer
service number 800-681-7390.
1. Ramljak S et al. Hematocrit Interference is a Common Phenomenon in Many Devices for Glucose Self-Measurement. Poster
session presented at: 5
th
International Conference on Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes; 2012 February 8-11;
Barcelona, Spain.
2. O’Kane M et al. How accurate are blood glucose meters used for patient self-testing? Poster session presented at: 47
th
Annual
Meeting of the European Society for the Study of Diabetes; 2011 September 14
th
; Lisbon, Portugal.
3. Tang Z et al. Effects of different hematocrit levels on glucose measurements with handheld meters for point-of-care testing. Arch
Pathol Lab Med 2000; 124:1135-1140.
4. Pidcoke H et al. Anemia Cause Hypoglycemia in intensive care unit patients in single channel glucometers: Methods of reducing
patient risk. Crit Care Med 2010; 38(2):471-76.
5. Thomas MC, et al. Unrecognized anemia in patients with diabetes: a cross-sectional survey. Diabetes Care. 2003 Apr 26(4):1164-
69.
6. http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/treatment-159153-5.html Accessed 1/23/12
NovaMax is a registered trademark of Nova Biomedical.
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