Difference blood sugar measurement (device vs blood test)

[MJCM]

My wife has Diabetes 2.

 

Yesterday morning we tested her blood with a home check device and it showed 86, but after that she had a blood test done in a Lab, and it showed 117 (with the normal range being (as explained in the results) of 70-110 thus it showed HIGH)

 

So what is the difference in testing in those methods? 
 

thx

[OneMoreFarang]

22 minutes ago, MJCM said:

So what is the difference

Maybe only the time when you tested it. It varies constantly.

And it varies even more if you eat or drink anything. 

[Sheryl]

Bloid sugat naturally fluctuates moment to moment just as BP does.

 

Comparisons are meaningless unless done on same blood sample

 

Also like BP, stress will elevate blood sugar ( though not as severely as with BP). The body naturally releases glucose into the blood when it experiences stress, mental or physical.  Typically more stress is felt when undergoing venipuncture at a lab than when doing own fingerstick at home.

 

Years ago I bought a home monitor as my FBS on check ups was consistently around 110 - 115. Rather a waste of money  as it turned out sugar   was always under 100 at home. 

 

Hb1Ac is a much better marker than FBS and gets around the problem of momentary spikes due to stress etc. If getting a test at a lab I strongly advise Hb1Ac and not FBS.

 

[MJCM]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Maybe only the time when you tested it. It varies constantly.

And it varies even more if you eat or drink anything. 

 Both were done when sober (read ate and drunk nothing at least 8 hrs before hand)

 

machine (home) reading was at 8:00am, blood test done was at around 9am. 

[Sheryl]

4 hours ago, MJCM said:

 Both were done when sober (read ate and drunk nothing at least 8 hrs before hand)

 

machine (home) reading was at 8:00am, blood test done was at around 9am. 

As above. Likely stress related. 

[MJCM]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

As above. Likely stress related. 

Thx. So keep testing with the home device? 

[Sheryl]

15 hours ago, MJCM said:

Thx. So keep testing with the home device? 

Not necessary if HB1Ac is in normal range. But you can if you want to. There is no reason to think anything wrong with the machine.

[MJCM]

14 minutes ago, Sheryl said:

Not necessary if HB1Ac is in normal range. But you can if you want to. There is no reason to think anything wrong with the machine.

I have no idea what method they used to check, it was the lifecare lab in Pattaya

[Sheryl]

1 hour ago, MJCM said:

I have no idea what method they used to check, it was the lifecare lab in Pattaya

Sorry I do not understand this reply.

 

What I said was, there is no need to check blood sugar at home if HB1Ac is normal.

 

But if you want to check it at home , the fact that lab gave a different reading an hour later is no reason to distrust your home device.

[MJCM]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

Sorry I do not understand this reply.

 

What I said was, there is no need to check blood sugar at home if HB1Ac is normal.

 

But if you want to check it at home , the fact that lab gave a different reading an hour later is no reason to distrust your home device.

My reply was intended for the next time we get our blood tested. It is a standard package (#4) there thus will ask how they test it. 
 

sorry if I wasn’t clear ????????

[ThailandRyan]

Some meters do need to have a control test done with the solution which came with the test strips when you start a new box of test strips.  I know my One Touch Verio does and I am able to order the strips for it here in country. My meter generally is off about 7 to 10 points on the mornings I do my blood test at the clinic.  It gives me a good re-assurance that my numbers for BS are not out of whack and the meter is faulty, which can occur over time.

[Sheryl]

47 minutes ago, MJCM said:

My reply was intended for the next time we get our blood tested. It is a standard package (#4) there thus will ask how they test it. 
 

sorry if I wasn’t clear ????????

Nothing to ask if it a FBS but as explained FBS is not as helpful as HB1Ac, which is a separate and different test - but which if concerned about blood sugar is what you should request.

 

 

[VocalNeal]

On 3/18/2023 at 2:42 PM, MJCM said:

 Both were done when sober (read ate and drunk nothing at least 8 hrs before hand)

 

machine (home) reading was at 8:00am, blood test done was at around 9am. 

Take the machine with you to the clinic and test samples at the same time. This way you will know what any offset between your machine and the lab is. If you wish to use the Lab as your master device.

 

Then when you test at home you can correct to equal the Lab device by adding or subtracting the offset.

Edited March 27, 2023 by VocalNeal