Diabetes Gear

Review: Contour Next One Blood Glucose Meter

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Back in August, Ascensia Diabetes Care convened a group of diabetes bloggers in Adelaide for the launch of their new blood glucose meter, the Contour Next One. You can read more about what was discussed during the actual event in this post.

Blood glucose meter accuracy isn’t something I’ve really considered prior to the past two or three years where I’ve taken a more active role in managing my blood sugars. When I was first diagnosed, I just accepted that a blood glucose meter was a blood glucose meter. Since connecting to other people with diabetes, and the emergence of new choices, I’ve come to realise that I can actually choose the devices that best suit my needs.

I was most impressed by the 8-ish percent accuracy that the Contour Next One boasted, which even beats out Roche’s AccuChek Guide which is my meter of choice. I’ve been using it on and off over the past couple of weeks, and I have to say that overall I am impressed.

I really like the sleek design of the meter. There’s a strip port light for testing in the dark, which is a little tricky to find as it does not automatically illuminate when you insert a strip. You’ll need to press your menu button twice before inserting your test strip. Readings are colour coded as red for ‘low,’ green for ‘in range’ and yellow for ‘high.’ The port light will also flash with the corresponding colour to reflect your blood sugar if you wish. I found that annoying and turned it off.

Like the Guide, the Contour will wirelessly transmit blood glucose readings from your meter to the Contour Diabetes app on your phone. It’s a really visually pleasing experience, and my readings seem to sync to the app with more ease than the Guide does.

My favourite feature is being able to see all of my readings plotted on a 24 hour graph, which is the next best thing to having a FreeStyle Libre or CGM. The colour markers are handy in this context. It will also produce time period averages, which can also be further classified (before meal, after meal, exercise etc.) if you place a ‘marker’ on each of your readings.

So far, the Contour also wins out over AccuChek on battery life. Since August, I’ve probably gone through four or five boxes of test strips using the same meter and batteries that came with it. I can’t give you an exact statistic, but it does feel like I’m constantly seeing the low battery icon pop up on my Guide.

Another thing I learned at the summit is that apparently I shouldn’t be paying for meter batteries, much to the amusement of others in the room. Ascensia have explicitly stated that replacement batteries are included with the meter, and can be ordered online. Apparently the same applies to most other brands of blood glucose meters, too!

The test strips come in capped vials, which do seem quite bulky after using AccuChek’s impressive spillproof vials. The meter does give you more time to apply more blood to the strip if your sample is inadequate. I’ve only just pulled out my Guide today and have already been met with a few pesky strip fill errors, making me appreciate this feature even more.

The lancing device also feels very ordinary, albeit with multicoloured lancets.

I have to admit I haven’t purposefully done a lot of testing in regards to the accuracy, but the few times that I have it’s come up very close to the Guide. I’ve also tested on a few dusty fingers at work and the results have been very trustworthy. The readings match with how I am feeling, as well.

One area where the Contour Next One would really excel is by adding a bolus calculator to the app. I feel like I’m flogging a dead horse here in repeatedly saying that diabetes apps have no value for me without one!

Ascensia also expressed their vision of supporting interconnected diabetes management systems, and another area where their meter would excel is in capabilities to transmit blood glucose readings into insulin pumps.

All in all, it’s a really neat meter and I will most likely continue to use it. Ascensia are also offering free meters through their website here, if you wish to try it for yourself.

Disclosures: Ascensia provided me with a Contour Next One meter at the Diabetes Social Media Summit I attended in August. I also accepted hospitalities during the event, details which can be found in this post. I have not been asked or paid to write this blog, and all thoughts expressed here are my own.

Christmas Day, For a Person With Diabetes

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Imagine one massive room, that you could wander around at your leisure. A room that had all of the latest and greatest diabetes tools and technologies on show. A place big enough that you were free to go and chat with any of the exhibitors that you wish to approach, without having sales reps from competing companies clamouring all over you. An opportunity for you to actually hold a blood glucose meter in your hand, have a play with an insulin pump, and ask all of the questions that have been sitting on your mind for the last few months.

There might even be a few coffee bars with complimentary chocolates on the counter to help get you through such a massive day. Ideally, there might even be a few freebies such as a new blood glucose meter, a mug or a sample of glucose tablets to take home. But above all, you have the opportunity to really learn and get excited about all of the options available on the market to support you in the self management of your diabetes.

This is actually a reality for healthcare professionals, researchers and people working in the diabetes industry. I’ve been lucky enough to experience what I can only describe as Christmas Day for a person with diabetes through my attendance at the Australasian Diabetes Congress over the past two years.

Several weeks ago over a coffee with one of the players in the diabetes space, I was asked what I would like to see more of from their brand. My answer was simple. More direct to consumer initiatives like the ones that I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in as a diabetes blogger.

One good example of such initiative is Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre group set up sessions. To my knowledge, people with diabetes are invited to attend a group session with both a diabetes educator and an Abbott representative. They are provided with a complimentary FreeStyle Libre reader and sensor, and learn how to use the product during the session (depending on the place of setup, CDEs may charge for the session).

Both Diabetes Victoria and Diabetes NSW have held large diabetes expos in the past. While I don’t know a lot about the nature of these events, I believe that these are weekend events held in Convention Centres with a combination of exhibitors and information sessions.

Another personal highlight for me was the technology night designed by my fellow Young Adult Diabetes Committee members in Perth last year. The evening brought together representatives from Abbott FreeStyle, Roche, Cellnovo, AMSL and Medtronic Diabetes. There were also a selection of the Committee’s favourite diabetes accessories on sale.

Most importantly, the evening was designed by people with diabetes, for people with diabetes. There were Committee members speaking about their own personal experiences with such technology, as well as healthcare professionals explaining how the technology works. Seeing people in attendance who were only hearing about such technologies for the first time really highlighted the importance of holding events like these.

I get that there are regulations around the direct ‘marketing’ of pharmaceuticals to consumers. I have been told that the pharmaceutical players in this space are free to support any events that are initiated by third parties, but there are restrictions on events initiated in house. In fairness, I don’t want to see events where diabetes sales representatives are smothering innocent consumers who may be unable to see through the heavy spin.

However, the reality is that not enough consumers know about all of the available options on the market to manage their diabetes. Would it not be in the best interests of pharmaceuticals to be able to reach the actual users of their products in the same way that they can reach healthcare professionals?

There was a time before this blog existed where I didn’t really know a lot about diabetes and the options available. It took me five years until I moved on from the blood glucose meter that I was given on diagnosis, having learned about something more modern and better suited to my needs. There was a time where I never would have dreamed that I would be a candidate for an insulin pump, because I thought they were only for kids or people who were really struggling to manage their diabetes.

As I follow Tweets from the European EASD conference happening in Berlin this week, I am reminded of just how lightening fast these advancements in the treatment of diabetes are happening these days.

It doesn’t necessarily mean that newer or more ‘tech-ier’ will be better, but people with diabetes have a right to know and make an informed decision that best suits their needs. I try to share as much of what I learn here on my blog, not because I am in the pockets of big pharma, but because getting that information out there is a mission which I truly believe in.

I distinctly remember emphasising the importance of healthcare professionals relaying word of these new technologies back to people with diabetes throughout this year’s Congress. Equally, I know that there are many person centred healthcare professionals who will do just that.

People with diabetes have a right to know about all of the options out there.

We need more opportunities like these.

Review: Yoga For Diabetes By Rachel Zinman

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I recently had the pleasure of reconnecting with fellow diabetes blogger, yoga instructor, friend, and now author Rachel Zinman in Sydney this May.

Rachel and I first connected back in 2015 during our first Diabetes Blog Week, and I’ve since ended up with a super fan that I can’t seem to get rid of! Despite the two of us having completely different backgrounds, Rachel is one of those people who is so easy to get along with. She is so warm, enthusiastic and really takes everything in around her.

Rachel has been a massive source of support, encouragement and inspiration in my blogging and advocacy efforts. She comes across exactly as I imagined her online, which I think is a true testament to her character.

I’ve been so inspired watching Rachel’s efforts in getting her book, Yoga for Diabetes: How to Manage Your Health With Yoga and Ayurveda, off the ground. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, Rachel eventually got the attention of a publisher and has since been putting her energy into a book tour across the US over the Summer.

Since returning to Australia earlier this year, Rachel has been touring the East Coast teaching Yoga and launching Yoga for Diabetes. After asking where the best place was for me to buy the book, Rachel produced one for me from the back seat of her car.

Rachel opens the book with her own story, talking about the long hours spent in New York learning about and teaching Yoga under a mentor. After experiencing the horror of 9/11, Rachel moved back home to Byron Bay, Australia with her young family. As a health conscious person, Rachel was in disbelief upon learning that a routine blood test showed a slightly elevated hba1c at the age of 42. With a slower onset of type 1 diabetes (LADA), Rachel spent many years trying to cure herself with natural remedies before finally accepting her diagnosis and taking insulin.

The book has definitely been written in the spirit of inspiring beginners like myself that Yoga could be for me. Rachel delves into the concept of Ayurveda, which is an ancient ‘science of life.’ She talks us through the three doshas – Vata, Pitta and Kapha – which are elements that combine in our bodies in varying amounts.

Exploring the characteristics of each of these three doshas was pivotal in connecting me to the concept of Yoga. I could really relate to qualities of a Vata Dosha such as being enthusiastic, full of ideas, unnecessarily overwhelmed and thin (I already hear that more than enough!). To a lesser degree, I could also relate to Pitta qualities such as being very focussed and hardworking, while also feeling occasional frustration and burnout.

Knowing what dosha, or combination of dosha you are, is pivotal in identifying the kind of Yoga practice best suited to you. There’s a questionnaire later in the book that will give you an answer, followed by many beautifully illustrated sequences customised to your Dosha.

The book moves onto the mind, as Rachel explains that Yoga can help us to become more aware of our thoughts and get us out of our habitual need to identify with them. Especially when it comes to the thoughts about our condition, Yoga can help us to feel content, relaxed and not thinking about diabetes for a moment.

The breathing and meditation exercises illustrated in the following two chapters gave me a good idea of what Rachel was talking about in regard to the mind. Getting on the ground and practicing some of the breathing exercises left me feeling really relaxed, focussing purely on things like feeling breath moving from my chest to my belly.

So what can Yoga offer those of us living with diabetes? In Rachel’s own words:

“A simple break from the intensity of all that the body throws at us.”

“Practices, lifestyle changes and systems of thought that enable me to face this condition each and every day with a positive outlook.”

“A great friend and companion that will hold your hand through all of the ups and downs that you are bound to experience.”

Over the course of this year, self care has become a pretty big priority for me to avoid burning out (more on that soon). Knowing absolutely nothing about Yoga, I guess I was most intrigued as to whether this book might help me to find a bit more mindfulness in my life. While I don’t think I’ll become a devoted yogi like Rachel, I have found another awesome self care tool to help put my mind at ease, particularly during these short Winter days when I don’t get outdoors as often as I’d like.

Yoga for Diabetes: How to Manage Your Health With Yoga and Ayurveda is now available on Amazon.

You can also follow Rachel’s book touring adventures on Facebook, Instagram and her blog.

Review: AccuChek Guide Blood Glucose Meter

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The AccuChek Guide has by far become my new favourite blood glucose meter in recent months.

I first received this meter from my friend Tammy of Diabetes: Forever and Always, before also picking up another one from the trade hall at the ADS-ADEA conference last year. There was, of course, no expectation that I would write or even use the meter itself.

The Guide has been around for a fair while, with it’s first claim to fame being the “spill proof” capped test strip vials.

Strips can also be easily accessed by simply sliding them out of their place, without having to stick your fingers in there and fumble around for one.

While this meter does use a slightly larger blood sample (0.6uL) compared to my FreeStyle Insulinx (0.3uL) and OneTouch Verio IQ (0.4uL), the accuracy more than makes up for it. Past meters have shown big variances from two consecutive readings, aren’t consistent with other meters, or the readings simply don’t match up with my feelings,. Even on grubby working hands, I have found the Guide’s accuracy to be the most consistent and superior.

I also like that I can see the blood go onto the strip, compared to my previous FreeStyle Lite strips which had me guessing whether it was blood or sweat had gone onto the strips.

My biggest gripe, as with other meters, is the strip fill errors. If I don’t get enough blood on the test strip on the first go, which often happens when I’m quickly trying to check during a red light on my way home, I have no choice but to start over with a fresh strip. Alternatively, both my Optium Xceed (does that meter still exist?) and the FreeStyle Insulinx gave me an additional 60 seconds to apply more blood.

One thing that disappoints me most is that every meter in the AccuChek family uses a different line of test strips. In comparison, the FreeStyle family only has two kinds of strips (to my knowledge). This definitely limits my enthusiasm to trial other meters, and does prove inconvenient when trying to stockpile test strips for spare or travel meters.

The guide comes with AccuChek’s FastClix lancing device, which is pretty damn amazing. Each cartridge change contains six lancets, meaning that I can change my lancet six times by simply sliding the little white knob. Unfortunately, this still does not motivate me to change my lancet any more often! There are also 11 depth settings, making the finger pricking experience pretty comfortable.

By far, my favourite feature of this meter is its Bluetooth connectivity to the AccuChek Connect smartphone app. Every time I check my blood sugar, the reading is wirelessly transferred to the app on my smartphone. The app makes it so convenient for me to review my blood glucose data, without the hassle of having to force myself to sit and upload each meter to my computer with its corresponding USB cable.

When you test your blood sugar as often as I do, you’ll get a nice graph of patterns and time in range, which has been really helpful to me while I’ve been adjusting to my pump break.

The app also has a built in bolus calculator that can be accessed with a single use code from a healthcare professional, however this feature has been recalled in Australia for some time. I’m currently using RapidCalc for bolus calculations on my iPhone while I’m on my pump break, but I would love to integrate my insulin dosing into the Connect app as well.

The biggest tradeoff to the additional features is a faster drain on the meter’s standard coin cell battery. I might get 2 months of battery life from checking my blood sugar 10 times per day on my main meter, alternating between a spare and a FreeStyle Libre as well.

The AccuChek Guide is an amazing, amazing meter that has all the bells and whistles for 21st century diabetes management. It definitely helps keep me feeling excited and motivated in managing my diabetes.

Bells and whistles aside, however, the biggest sell for me is that it’s a meter that I can trust.

It’s definitely worth asking your diabetes educator for one on your next visit.

Which Meter Do I Trust?

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One of the more “fun” pieces I recently had the opportunity to cover for Diabetes Daily was meter accuracy.

“To be fair, all blood glucose meters will only be accurate to the nearest 1 mmol/L (18 mg/dL) of a laboratory result. Which explains why two simultaneous blood glucose checks will likely produce two different results.

Most blood glucose meters must have a mean absolute relative difference (MARD) within 15 to 20 percent of laboratory results. This standard deems these devices a reliable indicator of blood glucose levels and safe to dose insulin from.

Which blood glucose meter can I trust? I conducted an experiment of sorts at home comparing all of the blood glucose monitoring devices that I currently use.”

You can see the results of my little experiment for yourself in the full column at Diabetes Daily here.