Background: An important component of diabetes care is self-monitoring blood glucose (BG). Up to now, no standard quality control procedure has verified the readings of various blood glucose meters in Iran. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of three glucose meters and Betachek (a visual BG measurement test) with the measurement of a reference laboratory.
Material/methods: The Betachek test strip and three other common glucometer devices in Iran (Glucotrend 2, GlucoMen, and GlucoCare) were used to determine BG levels in 110 patients suffering from diabetes. The results were then compared with a standard laboratory method.
Results: The mean measurement of blood glucose by GlucoCare showed the least deviation from the standard laboratory method (6.80% less than the standard method). Glucotrend 2 had the best correlation with the standard method. The mean deviations in BG level as read by GlucoMen, Glucotrend 2, and Betachek were 9.53%, 11.95%, and 10.26% higher than the standard method, respectively. Betachek showed the lowest correlation with the standard method.
Conclusions: GlucoCare and Glucotrend 2 had the most advantageous results; however, no glucometer met the ADA criteria of reading within 5% of the laboratory reference results. Betachek had the least reliable readings.