You can make better use your diabetes kit to help you avert hypos. For example, the Accu-Chek Aviva Expert, as well as being a blood test meter, is also a bolus advisor system for people on multiple daily injections. In an online user survey, 52% of respondents reported that using the bolus advisor had reduced their fear of hypos. The blood testing system (so much more than just a meter) has a helpful hypo-warning feature. Many users find the colourful graphs and charts useful to help them to monitor and stay in control of their diabetes.
The OneTouch Verio Pro, an easy to use no-coding meter, also features a high and low pattern messenger. Without having to press any buttons, the meter logs all your results but informs you when it discovers a pattern of low readings. You are automatic
ally informed of low patterns in your blood glucose results so that you can consider insulin therapy adjustments ‘on the go’, without waiting to download them and pore over the data later.
Along these lines is continuous glucose monitors (CGM) which can clearly show patterns of highs or lows. CGMs available in the UK are the Enlite snsor from Medtronic and the Navigator from Abbott. Insulin pumps in combination with CGM are also primed to help avert hypos. So the Medtronic pump used with the Enlite sensor, or the Animas Vibe pump that incorporates Dexcom CGM. If hypos are a real issue for you, then pump therapy could well make significant improvements, while CGM gives added insights which can lead to appropriate actions to prevent hypos from happening.
Hypos are more usually experienced by people on insulin. As technology advances and diabetics are treated with insulin so technology is coming to our aid (it is about time isn’t it?). You can get a Hypoglycaemia alarm for around £70 from www.lowbloodsugaralarm.com
