DIY gadgets to help keep diabetes in check ...

IF YOU want to keep an eye on your blood sugar levels, there are a number of DIY tests now available. Here, Dr Ian Lake, assesses some of the latest devices on the market. We then rated them. TEE2+ BLOOD GLUCOSE METER €11.10, spirit-healthcare.co.uk LIKE most DIY tests, this is a pin-prick blood test kit — you put a test strip in the device, prick your finger using the provided lancet and place the blood on the strip.

Your blood sugar reading will appear on the screen.

The meter stores up to 1,000 readings, so you can track your results. Replacement strips cost €8.60 for 50.

EXPERT VERDICT: Simple to use and similar to dozens of other devices. 3/5 IHEALTH ALIGN BG1 SMART GLUCOSE MONITORING SYSTEM €17.80, amazon.co.uk THIS monitor can be plugged into a smartphone or tablet through the headphone jack, and uploads your data to the connected app (free from Apple’s App Store or Google Play for Android phones) — allowing you to create a graph of your readings.

It checks your levels using a lancet and test strips.

EXPERT VERDICT: The main advantage of this is that it has algorithms to process data and calculate trends in your blood sugar levels — if it notices there is an upward trend in your blood sugar it will advise you to use more insulin. 3.5/5 ACCU-CHEK MOBILE ALL-IN-ONE SYSTEM €47.99, boots.ie OTHER devices require separate lancets and test papers, but this one has them attached — a strong selling point, as it means you can use it when you’re out and about.

You put a drop of blood on the testing cassette at the bottom of the device. It stores 2,000 results.

You can buy a cassette (a cartridge with tape for 50 tests) for €39.95, and 24 lancets for €5.99 (both at boots.ie)

EXPERT VERDICT: This is a particularly good device for people with limited functionality, such as those with rheumatoid arthritis or stroke patients.

It’s also ideal for people who want the convenience of doing the blood sugar test one-handed while they are out. 4/5 FREESTYLE LIBRE FLASH GLUCOSE MONITOR €169.90, freestylelibre.ie A SENSOR the size of a €2 coin, which sticks to your arm, continuously monitors glucose levels in the fluid under the skin, so there’s no need for blood samples. To take a reading, you pass a ‘reader’ device over the sensor; the result will appear on the screen. The system has been reimbursed, from April this year, for some patients aged from four to 21. Speak to your diabetes specialist to see if you are eligible.

EXPERT VERDICT: This device is a massive step forward as it can give you a detailed, continuous record of your blood sugar.

Finger prick tests only give you a reading for that point in time and you don’t know what is happening in between. In my opinion, everyone who has type 1 diabetes should have one. 5/5