The medicinal team for Watchdog has warned patients dealing with diabetes to check their glucose monitors following a report that a manufacturer recalled numerous faulty devices which were giving dangerously false readings. The manufacturer Lifescan, used by more than 22,000 people who suffer with diabetes, recalled the blood glucose equipment after the company found a software glitch which would lead to patients missing extremely high glucose levels – a situation could cause serious complication for the individual in question. This fault causes the OneTouch Verio Pro device to give a low reading, and the OneTouch Verio IQ models to switch off if the blood glucose level exceeds the dangerously high level of 56.8 mmoI/L – the company stressed that such an occurrence was rare. The OneTouch Verio Pro+ was also affected. The faulty devices don’t alert the user to the dangerous levels of glucose beyond this level, so there could be a risk of a delay in the diagnosis and treatment of extreme hyperglycaemia.
Blood glucose testing is a key part of the management of diabetes, so it’s vital that your devices work effectively in order to reduce the risk of danger. Diabetes is a lifestyle condition which often affects those who are overweight or have a poor diet. In order to reduce the risk of developing diabetes, doctors recommend that you eat a diet which is low in fat and sugar, and packed with plenty of fruit and vegetables, as well as getting plenty of exercise. This will help you to maintain a healthy weight, as well as helping to stave off other health problems such as heart disease and stroke. If you think you may be at risk of developing diabetes, or think you might have some symptoms which suggest you already have the condition, you should consult your doctor as soon as possible who can run tests.
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