Why do you need to know if I am diabetic?
Diabetics do not have to pay VAT on products related to their condition but unfortunately most pharmacies and retailers will require you to pay the full price including VAT and will leave you to fill out a long form to claim the VAT back. But if you buy from us, all you need to do is to confirm you are a diabetic from the drop-down menu and you will be charged the price excluding VAT. You must select an option from the drop-down menu to get the correct price.
*Please note that if you select "Yes I have diabetes" then you MUST provide us with your home address. This is because you are making a legal declaration which we will supply to HMRC so they need your home address details. If you want the goods delivered to an alternate address such as your work or to a storage facility and you select the non-VAT option, then you will need to send us a message with your home address before we can ship the goods. *
What do I get in this pack?
You will get everything you need to start measuring your Glucose, Total Cholesterol and Triglyceride levels:
- Digital Meter (measuring in both mmol/L and mg/dL)
- 10 x Glucose Strips
- 5 x Cholesterol Strips
- 5 x Triglyceride Strips
- Lancing Pen
- 25 x Sterile Lancets
- Carry Case
- Instructions
Why do I need to test for Cholesterol, Triglycerides and Glucose?
Having diabetes is now considered a risk factor for heart and circulatory disease. This is because people with diabetes are less efficient at processing blood fats like cholesterol and triglycerides.
Recent guidelines recommend that all adults with diabetes should have their blood fats measured and cardiovascular risk assessed each year.
This meter allows you to accurately measure your blood glucose, total cholesterol and triglycerides levels at home.
How good is this meter?
The meter is manufactured in Switzerland and exceeds the ISO: 15197:2003 requirements for accuracy. It comes with a host of other features including:
- Lightweight at just 65g
- Compact (measuring 97x49x20.5mm)
- Wide measuring range (0.6 - 33.3 mmol/L glucose; 3.3 - 10.2 mmol/L cholesterol; 0.56 - 5.6 mmol/L for triglycerides)
- Results in just 5 seconds for glucose and 90 seconds for cholesterol
Replacement strips and lancets are available from our shop at very low prices:
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a common life-long health condition where the amount of glucose in your blood is too high because the body cannot use it properly. This is because your pancreas does not produce any insulin, or not enough, to help glucose enter your body's cells - or the insulin that is produced does not work properly (known as insulin resistance). There are 2.8 million people diagnosed with diabetes in the UK and an estimated 850,000 people who have the condition but do not know it.
More than three-quarters of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes mellitus. This used to be known as non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) or maturity-onset diabetes mellitus. In type 2 diabetes, not enough insulin is produced or the insulin that is made by the body does not work properly. It tends to affect people as they get older and usually appears after the age of 40, but increasingly is seen in younger, overweight people. Depending on its severity, type 2 diabetes may be managed through diet and physical activity alone, oral medications or insulin injections, though a combination of these therapies are ideal for most cases.
The remainder have type 1 diabetes mellitus, which used to be known as insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. In type 1 diabetes, the body is unable to produce any insulin. It usually starts in childhood or young adulthood and is treated with diet control and insulin injections.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty substance known as a lipid and is vital for the normal functioning of the body. It's mainly made by the liver but can also be found in some foods.
Having an excessively high level of lipids in your blood (hyperlipidemia) can have an effect on your health.
High cholesterol itself doesn't usually cause any symptoms, but it increases your risk of serious health conditions.
What are Triglycerides?
Triglycerides are a form of dietary fat found in meats, dairy produce and cooking oils. The liver also makes triglycerides.
Whether they come from the digestion of foods or from the liver, triglycerides are used for one of two purposes. They may be taken up by cells and tissues and used for energy. Alternatively they may be stored as fat.
After eating a meal the blood is rich in triglycerides. It usually takes a few hours for triglyceride levels to return to normal.
Raised triglycerides often go hand in hand with low HDL (good) Cholesterol levels. The higher the triglyceride level the lower the HDL level. Why is this? The explanation is complex, but put simply; as the main triglyceride carrying particles give up their
triglycerides they also transfer cholesterol to HDL. When triglycerides are cleared from the blood less quickly, less cholesterol is transferred to HDL particles meaning HDL cholesterol levels remain low. So whilst total cholesterol readings are a good indicators of cardiovascular health, for a more accurate overall result, it is important to aslo test for another marker such HDL or triglycerides.
Where can I find out more information?
If there is anything you are unsure of or if you require any additional information please contact us, either by clicking on "Ask a question" at the bottom of the page or by sending an email.