Fact: A whopping 101 million people in India, which is more than 11% of India’s total population, are living with diabetes.
Diabetes, aka Diabetes Mellitus, is a chronic medical condition characterised by high blood glucose levels. It surfaces when the pancreas fails to produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood glucose levels) or when the body is unable to use the insulin it produces effectively. Consistent high blood glucose can eventually give rise to serious health conditions like a higher risk of stroke and heart attack, vision loss, kidney failure, and more.
However, the good news is that with regular monitoring and effective management, it is possible to regulate blood glucose levels and stay away from its resulting complications. The easiest way to monitor blood glucose is by using a device known as a glucometer. Ever since it was developed, a glucometer has become a go-to choice for monitoring blood glucose in people with diabetes.
Has your doctor also advised you to get yourself or a family member a glucometer? Read this article to find the best glucometer in India to safely monitor your health from the comfort of your home.
Self-monitoring of blood glucose, or SMBG, is the practice of checking your blood glucose levels. Studies show that SMBG can help improve the health outcomes of diabetic patients.
It provides valuable data regarding a person’s blood glucose levels at different times of the day. Most often, diabetics are advised to take tests a few times spread over a week or a couple of times every day.
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The collected readings are then used to identify the extent of glycemic control in the particular individual. Based on the data obtained, doctors then make necessary changes in the strength of medications or the dose of insulin, food intake, and exercise requirements for the patient.
In addition to assisting doctors in making informed decisions for patient care, SMBG also empowers diabetics to make everyday choices pertaining to carbohydrate intake and the amount of physical activity needed for enhanced glycemic control. It also allows them to adjust their insulin dose depending on their real-time sugar levels. This is highly useful to deter instances of hypoglycemia and severe hyperglycemia in diabetic individuals.
For this reason, SMBG has become an integral part of diabetes management. And all this was possible only after the advent of affordable self-monitoring devices called glucometers!
A glucometer, also called a glucose meter, is a handy device that helps people monitor their blood glucose levels. It does so by measuring the amount of sugar or glucose in the blood at any given time.
The device is especially useful for people with diabetes, as it helps them achieve their blood sugar goals. It usually comes in the form of a kit, which includes multiple items like tiny needles called lancets, a lancet device to adjust the depth of the needle and to help prick the finger, test strips, and a digital meter to analyse and reflect readings.
Steps to get a blood glucose reading using a glucometer typically involve:
1. Loading a lancet into the lancing device and pricking a finger.
2. Collect the blood on a test strip inserted into the digital meter. The strip is impregnated with an enzyme that interacts with blood glucose.
3. Using electrochemical technology, the device then identifies the amount of glucose in the blood and reflects it on the screen as a reading.
Checking blood glucose levels can be a regular affair for many people with diabetes. Therefore, it is important to find a model that meets all your needs so you never think twice when it’s time to take a reading. As the market is flooded with choices, making the right selection can be overwhelming. However, if you keep a few things in mind when exploring the available options, you will likely end up selecting the best glucometer in India that meets your individual needs.
Here are the questions you should ask yourself when buying a glucose meter:
Ease of use is one of the main criteria for finding the best glucometer in India. Look for a device that doesn’t require too many complicated steps to take a reading. See if you find it comfortable to handle and that you can see the readings clearly on screen. Having bigger buttons on the device also helps, especially for elderly patients.
Glucometers come with different set of features. Some are compact; others come in a bigger size. Some have a backlit screen so you don’t have trouble reading the numbers at night, whereas others accept verbal commands and are completely audible to help visually impaired people check their sugar levels with ease. Make sure you think about which special features can benefit you the most, and choose your device accordingly.
While glucometers only need a drop of blood for the test, the size of the drop does matter. Devices requiring a large drop of blood will probably need a deeper prick on your finger, which can be painful if you check your blood sugar level several times a day. So, it is best to find a glucometer that requires a very small quantity of blood (0.5 microliters or less) and comes with lancets with a thin needle.
It can be frustrating if your glucometer takes a long time to deliver the result. A testing time of 5 seconds or less is probably ideal, as most people won’t mind waiting that long to get the results. Anything longer can hamper user experience in the long run.
Your doctor may advise you to take note of your glucometer readings. These results can help them make decisions on dietary changes and medications for diabetes management. Some people prefer to note their readings in a notebook, while others prefer to store the readings on the device itself. If you are one of those, you will need a glucometer with large memory and data storage options.
Some glucose monitors come with Bluetooth connectivity, allowing users to connect their devices to smartphone apps for data transfer. This feature makes it possible for patients to share their test results with their healthcare providers in real-time. Or, users can create a sharable file of their test results on their laptop or smartphone and share it with their doctor for reference.
Buying a glucometer is not a one-time cost. While you will get a set of test strips and lancets (meant for one-time use) with your device, you will likely have to buy more if you plan to monitor your blood glucose regularly. Hence, don’t forget to take into account the recurring costs of buying test strips, lancets, and other items like alcohol swabs required for testing. Fix your budget based on these points to ensure affordability in the long term.
Determining the accuracy of a glucometer before purchase is usually not possible, as pre-purchase testing is not allowed on medical devices. The best way to ensure accuracy is to look for reliable brands with positive customer reviews. You can also seek your doctor’s advice on the best glucometer in India and buy yours with their suggestion in mind.
As glucometers tend to give varied readings due to different technology and performance, one must stick to one glucometer model at all times so that fluctuations in blood sugar levels are not a result of model-specific factors and are only due to actual changes in blood glucose.
Name | Price | Product Links |
| BeatO Curv Glucometer | ₹699 | Buy Now! |
| BeatO SMART Glucometer | ₹649 | Buy Now! |
| AccuSure Simple Blood Glucometer | ₹409 | Buy Now! |
| AGARO Blood Glucose Meter GLM-76 | ₹775 | Buy Now! |
| Dr. Morepen BG-03 Gluco One Glucometer Combo | ₹745 | Buy Now! |
The first product in our selection of the best glucometer in India is the BeatO Curv Glucometer. This device comes with a Type-C USB connector and is compatible with all Android devices. It is super compact, making it easier for you to check your blood glucose levels whenever and wherever you want.
What’s more? This glucometer is clinically approved for delivering accurate results (+/- 15%). Its test strips work on fast-draw technology and require no coding. All blood sugar readings are securely saved in cloud storage via the BeatO app, which means you can access your blood glucose data at your fingertips. Other features, like access to blood sugar charts, colour-coded results, and AI-based personalised insights, make blood glucose monitoring a breeze.
Key Features:
What’s Inside the Box:
The BeatO Curv Glucometer kit includes:
Click Here To Buy BeatO Curv Glucometer
The BeatO SMART Glucometer is yet another powerful tool to monitor sugar levels in diabetics. It works well with both Android and iPhone devices. You can seamlessly connect it to any smartphone via a 3.5 mm audio jack. iPhone users, however, need a lightning device to facilitate connection with their smartphone.
The glucometer is small, allowing you to carry it wherever you go. The device, though battery-operated, has a long life of up to 3 years. You can take as many as 4000 readings with one battery!
All the readings you take are stored in the BeatO app. You can access the information in the form of charts and graphs for better understanding. You can even share them with your doctor to analyse your glycemic control and suggest changes in lifestyle and medications for better diabetes management.
Key Features:
What’s Inside the Box:
The BeatO SMART Glucometer kit includes:
Click Here To Buy BeatO SMART Glucometer
For all those who wish to buy the best glucometer in India but need a device that is simple to use, we have the AccuSure Simple Blood Glucometer. It is a GDH FAD 4th generation glucometer, which is also compliant with ISO 15197:2013.
This battery-operated device does not require a tech-savvy user. The kit comes with an easy-to-use glucometer with a large screen for enhanced visibility and simple keys for operation. It can hold up to 1000 readings and has a presettable feature to monitor before and after-meal blood sugar levels. With a tiny amount of blood on the test strip, the device delivers accurate results in merely 8 seconds.
Key Features:
What’s Inside the Box:
The AccuSure Simple Blood Glucometer kit includes:
Click Here To Buy AccuSure Simple Blood Glucometer
AGARO’s glucometer is another useful tool for monitoring a person’s fluctuating blood sugar levels throughout the day. The meter looks elegant and can provide test results in as little as five seconds! Perfect for when you want to take a quick reading or are on the go. It has enough memory to store 180 readings and a battery capacity to support close to 1000 tests.
The device is equipped with an automatic coding feature, which frees the users from the hassle of manual coding. This is especially helpful for elderly patients. Moreover, the easy-to-identify markers in the meter help differentiate between pre- and post-meal test results so that you don’t end up getting confused when you review your results later.
Key Features:
What’s Inside the Box:
The AGARO Blood Glucose Meter kit includes:
Check Out Our Collection of Best Glucometers & Sugar Testing Machines
Last, but not least, we have Dr. Morepen’s BG-03 Gluco One Glucometer. Reasons why it makes it to the list of the best glucometer in India are that it is lightweight and convenient to use, needs a tiny drop of blood (0.5 microliters), and displays test results within 5 seconds.
It comes with a large display and ample memory to store 300 test results. The fact that the device requires no manual coding saves the user’s time and allows quick testing.
You get a box of 50 test strips, allowing you to take several blood glucose readings safely and accurately. You also get a durable plastic case so your glucometer is well-protected when not in use.
Key Features:
What’s Inside the Box:
The Dr. Morepen BG-03 Gluco One Glucometer kit includes:
Check Out Our Collection of Best Glucometers & Sugar Testing Machines
A glucometer is undoubtedly the most convenient tool a person can use for self-monitoring blood sugar levels. Because of these devices, you can check your health status from the comfort of your home without running out and about for lab tests. While having the best glucometer in India at your disposal can make your life easy, never consider it a substitute for a medical consultation with your doctor.
Remember that lab tests are generally more accurate than glucometer readings because laboratory devices use advanced technologies for obtaining test results. Although glucometer readings can help you learn about the fluctuations in your blood glucose levels, they may not be completely accurate.
So, along with glucometer use, you must get lab tests done when prescribed by your doctor so that you and your provider have accurate health information to plan or tweak your diabetic regimen to manage your condition effectively.
Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic health conditions in India and worldwide. Reasons that contribute to its high prevalence include genetics, being overweight, and a sedentary lifestyle.
Although diabetes can indeed give rise to many long-term health issues and it is possible to reduce its effects. Practising self-monitoring of blood glucose using a readily available glucometer and managing it promptly through diet changes, exercise, and medications can improve glycemic control.
So, if you have been contemplating buying a glucometer, we suggest you take another look at the products mentioned above and then make a decision. These are the top five glucometers we found in our quest to find the best glucometer in India. With the best device at hand, you can make sure your sugar levels and your health are all under control.
A glucometer is a handy device used to determine the blood glucose level of an individual. Your doctor will likely advise you to use a glucometer if you are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, a condition that causes higher-than-normal blood glucose levels in the body.
Blood glucose levels are typically determined in the fasting state (at least 8 hours of fasting at night) and post-prandial (after a meal) state. A non-diabetic person has a fasting blood glucose level of less than 100 mg/dl and a post-prandial blood glucose level of less than 140 mg/dl. People with pre-diabetes and diabetes have higher blood glucose levels than normal.
No. You do not need a prescription to buy a glucometer. You can either purchase one online or get it from your local pharmacy.
Consider factors like cost, ease of use, special features, size of the device, memory function, and availability of test strips when buying a glucometer for yourself or a family member.
Well, this depends from one person to another. For some individuals, doctors advise using a glucometer once a day, whereas others may require multiple tests in one day. Talking to your doctor can help you learn how frequently you need to use your glucometer to keep a check on your blood glucose levels.
If you want to test the accuracy of your glucometer, do a fingerprick test with your glucometer at the same time when you are having your blood drawn for a lab test for blood glucose. Compare your glucometer reading with the result of your lab test. If the reading is within 15% of the lab test result, your glucometer can be considered accurate.
Many glucometer brands are available for purchase in the Indian market. Their cost can range from under ₹500 to over ₹3000 for some brands.
Disclaimer: The content of this article is compiled information from generic and public sources. It is in no way a substitute, suggestion, or advice for a qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. BeatoApp does not claim responsibility for this information
The right sugar testing strip and glucometer are hard to find. BeatO has got everything you need under one roof. Try out our smart glucometer kit and elevate your healthcare routine.