Keeping an Eye on Blood Sugar

Blood sugar monitors have come a long way. First introduced in the early '70s, they provided diabetics with an accurate method of determining blood sugar levels. Up until then, diabetics had been managing with very unreliable urine testing.

Today's generation of blood sugar monitors require a much smaller sample of blood. They allow blood samples to be taken from areas of the body less sensitive than the fingers, such as the forearm, and test results can be stored electronically and downloaded to a computer.

Selecting the right monitor has become a matter of choosing from a wide variety of features. For example, diabetics with impaired vision can choose a monitor that has a large display screen or gives voice prompts.

More recent models constantly monitor blood sugar levels and deliver insulin into the body as it's needed. Thanks to advances in medicine and technology, monitoring blood sugar levels has become both easier and more accurate.