Product Description

Our most advanced system, TrueTrack delivers nothing less than outstanding performance. TrueTrack requires a tiny blood sample, provides fast results in just 10 seconds, and with two simple steps, is very easy to use. Not to mention, sophisticated data management capabilities. It's ease and convenience makes it the ideal meter for the moderate to frequent tester with an active, on-the-go lifestyle.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23978 in Health and Beauty
• Brand: Home Diagnostics
• Model: A4H01-81
• Released on: 2007-01-15
• Dimensions: .47 pounds

Features

• Biosensor Technology
• Chip Coding
• Tiny blood sample - just 1 microliter
• Easy to use - 2 simple steps
• 10 Second test time

Customer Reviews

Horrible, frighteningly inconsistent
I received the Walgreens branded version of this meter (it's exactly the same) as my first meter when I was diagnosed last week. Setup is needlessly complex, and the meter will give radically different readings - even on different fingers of the same hand within three minutes of each other.

Last week, I washed, rinsed and dried my hands thoroughly before handling the strips and lance, then rewashed, rinsed and dried my left ring finger and inserted the strip with my right hand (being overly careful not to touch anything with my left hand. I lanced my left ring finger and it read 499. Panicking, I repeated my prep, and tested my right ring finger for a reading of 150. okay, I thought, bad strip. It has to happen, right?

Over the next week, the readings fluctuated radically, so I tested myself using my wife's meter. Rock solid, repeatable results on multiple fingers over multiple times. Thinking maybe my strips were bad, I opened a new pack tonight and properly set up the meter with the new strips, according to the instructions. I properly cleaned and dried my hands and tested my left thumb with a reading of 299, then my right middle finger for a reading of 222. Now my left middle finger for a reading of 153, all in the space of three minutes, max.

I did a Google search on this thing, and several other people have had similar problems. Consumer Reports rated it LAST in their Sept. 08 ratings of 13 blood-glucose self-test kits. I'm throwing this thing away and getting the OneTouch UltraMini, which CR rated highest, for only $2 more than this horrible, cursed thing.

Very Accurate and Inexpensive Meter
I chose this meter specifically because it was the cheapest in Walgreens, back when I was first diagnosed and before I knew that meters vary so much in quality. I started to get nervous about the TrueTrack later on after reading all the poor reviews.

I decided to bring the meter to my doctor's appointments to compare my results. On three separate occasions, the TrueTrack was within at least two points of the doctor's office. I even brought my TrueTrack with me when I had lab work done at a separate facility and my meter had me one point off from the lab's reading.

My readings always reflect how I feel. I have another discount meter (not a TrueTrack, but that's supposedly of higher quality) that reads me 14-41 points higher than the TrueTrack. I thought the TrueTrack was deceiving me, but I trust the doctor's office laboratory more than I do this other meter.

The test strips are relatively expensive. They almost always include coupons inside the box, which is helpful. I don't think the meter is all that complicated, but if you've never used one before, then you should watch the instructional videos online. I had to do that when it came time to calibrate the meter.

P.S. If you are getting weird results on your meter, then calibrate the meter to ensure accuracy. Remember that testing yourself several times in a row within a few minutes is going to mess up your results. Wait at least half an hour between testings on the same meter. If none of these tips works, call the manufacturer of ANY broken meter and demand a new one.

Not the best for tight control
I really liked this monitor when I got it. It's easy to use, and the strips cost way less than other meters. My diabetes is type 2, and I've been on metformin and diet control for about 15 years. I keep a very close watch; when I can afford it I test 4 times a day.

Suddenly my blood glucose was reading 130's to 150's before meals. I put it down to stress and maybe less tight diet. I tightened up my diet control, made sure I was getting enough sleep. Sugars began reading 160's to 300 before meals. I don't have health insurance and I had no way to get in to a doctor over the weekend. Before we went to the ER my husband said "Don't you get nauseated and sleepy when your sugar goes high? If you just feel a little tired, are you sure the meter is right?" He's not diabetic, and he did a pre-meal test at 124 (he's normally 80 or less).

I went and bought a bottle of One Touch strips for an old meter I had, and it read 125. I got 165 on the TrueTrack.

I found out I have to send the meter back to be recalibrated and wait for it to return. No suggestions on how I monitor in the meantime. They consider 20% variability to be acceptable. My readings were anywhere from 20-40 points off. Now, most sliding scale insulin based on how high your blood sugar goes over a certain number, in increments of 10. I think 20 to 40 off could be a real problem for anyone taking insulin.

Fortunately I'm on oral medication and increased that according to my doctor's directions, which just made me feel rather nasty. If I had been taking insulin to correct I could have gotten into serious trouble. Also, TrueTrack's meter reads low (LLL) at 20 and high (HHH) at 600. With those blood sugar results it would be really unsafe to drive, or you might not be able to call for help before you blacked out. My current meter reads LLL for low at 40, giving me time to get some carbs in and/or get help. Since you're not always the brightest thing on the planet when you're having a critical low, it helps when the meter practically screams "Do something now!" in time.

This is a great low cost meter for someone who wants to casually monitor and is willing and able to verify on another meter or at their doctor's office if they start getting strange results. If you're trying to go it on your own with only minimal doctor visits and no health insurance, save yourself from diabetic complications and spend the money for a more expensive meter and strips.

There's a discount card program called Together Rx Access you can find on the Web. You can watch for strip sales, and some internet sites have almost-expired strips you might be able to use before the expiry date. Ask your doctor how infrequently you can get away with testing to make the expensive strips last, and if they have any samples from the reps. I've learned my lesson. I would rather test once a week and when I have symptoms and have it be accurate, than test more often on a less accurate meter and get into trouble.