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Worldwide spending on glucose monitoring
products is estimated at over $5.0 billion per year
and is growing at double digits rates. Yet, despite
increasing evidence that more frequent monitoring would
enable improved control, among insulin-using patients
in particular, many patients seldom check their glucose
levels. On average, insulin-using patients check their
blood sugar less than twice daily. According to Diabetes
Care, only 70% of insulin-using diabetes patients monitor
their blood glucose levels more than once per month,
and the rates drop dramatically among non-insulin users.
Principal reasons for non-compliance
with prescribed monitoring approaches are the pain and
inconvenience involved in lancing a finger or arm to
obtain a blood sample for glucose measurement. The finger
has a particularly high density of capillaries, making
it an ideal site for a blood sample, but it also has
a high density of nerve-endings, making it a particularly
painful site for puncture.
Standard glucose monitoring is also
complex and cumbersome, often leading to inaccurate
readings and further discouraging compliance. Existing
glucose monitors experience error (including user error)
of 15-20% or more compared with the best standard bench-top
analyzers. According to the American Diabetes Association,
physicians believe that an error of 10% or less is needed
to achieve clinically relevant endpoints in blood glucose
control. To SMSI®'s knowledge, no home
blood glucose monitors have been able to demonstrate
a total error within this range.
Regardless of the reasons for non-compliance
in testing, or the accuracy limitations of the readings,
there is a widespread desire for an accurate, automatic,
pain-free, continuous glucose monitor.
Copyright © 2008 Sensors for Medicine and Science, Inc.®
All rights reserved. Date of last update: 4/8/08.
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