Blood Glucose Monitoring Performance of “Roche Accu-Check Go” Glucometer Device at Moderately High Altitude

Abstract

To evaluate the performance of Roche Accu-check glucometer device compared to reference laboratory measurement in moderately high altitude.
Research Design and Methods: Fasting blood glucose measurements were made simultaneously by Accucheck go glucometer device and standard laboratory methods in a group of 204 male and female patients residing in Erzurum, a province in Eastern Turkey with an altitude of 2000 meters. Majority of patients had type 2 diabetes.
Results: Average fasting blood glucose levels measured with Accu-check go (101.5; 71-456) were lower compared to reference values (102.5; 69-456), with no statistically significant difference. Also, there were no significant differences between the two methods with regard to measured values below and above the threshold level of 126. The type of diabetes and gender had no effect on measurements.
Conclusions: Slightly lower glucose levels observed with Accu-check go at a moderately high altitude of 2000 meters can be explained on the basis of oxidoreductase method used. However, absence of any significant difference suggests that the ability of Accu-check go to detect hypoglycemia at this altitude at an early stage is not compromised.