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, a GP based in Gloucestershire and adviser to diabetes.co.uk, assesses some of the latest devices. We then rated them.

TEE2+ BLOOD GLUCOSE METER

£9.99, spirit-healthcare.co.uk or free on NHS prescription 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 £7.75 for 50. EXPERT VERDICT: Simple to use and similar to dozens of other devices. everyone with type 1 diabetes is entitled to a device like this, but the model depends on your local health authority. 3/5

IHEALTH ALIGN BG1 SMART GLUCOSE MONITORING SYSTEM

£15.99, 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. This monitor is not available on the NHS. 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

£37.66, most pharmacies 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 £22.25, and 24 lancets for £4.59. it’s available on NHS prescription in some areas. 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

£159.95, freestylelibre.co.uk and on NHS prescription in some areas. 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.

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