Freestyle Vs. Freestyle Lite Diabetic Meter

The FreeStyle and FreeStyle Lite diabetic meters both have many benefits: They are less bulky, lighter to carry, and computer-friendly than some competing products. But the two meters differ from each other, too, with coding---or the lack of it---being a significant difference.

Diabetic Glucose Meters

• Diabetics need to be monitor their blood sugar (glucose) levels periodically throughout the day. This can be done with a diabetic meter. This machine measures the blood placed on special testing strips after a small pinprick has been made into the diabetic's finger.

  Some diabetic meters allow for blood to be drawn from areas of the body besides the finger (such as the arm); others do not. Some diabetic meters are lightweight enough to carry to work or school, while others are heavier and used at home only. Smaller meters are more convenient than bigger ones outside the home.

Freestyle Diabetic Meter

• The FreeStyle diabetic meter is small enough for children to carry to school. Weighing slightly less than 3 ounces, it measures 3.8 by 2 by 1 inch (width, length, depth). It is recognized for its painless capability as well as for the small sample size of blood it requires for testing.

  This meter turns on automatically upon test strip insertion. It allows an additional reading to be tested in as little as one minute, for children---or adults with shaky hands---who might not have done it right the first time. The meter holds up to 250 readings (including the time and date of each)---which can be downloaded to a computer. It can provide averages (14- and 30-day) of testing results.

Freestyle Lite Diabetic Meter

• The FreeStyle Lite diabetic meter cost the same as the FreeStyle as of November 2009, but it has several advantages, beginning with size (1.57 by 2.9 by 0.65 inches) and weight (1.4 ounces including the battery). The smaller width makes it easier to hold in the palm.

  But one of the most significant advantages of the FreeStyle Lite is its no-coding capability; users do not have to enter a code before testing. This simplifies blood sample measurement and testing and is a definite advantage for children and the elderly. Another benefit is a shorter testing results time: five seconds instead of seven.

Additional Benefits of Freestyle Lite

• The FreeStyle Lite can store more readings (400) than the FreeStyle (250). And in addition to the 14- and 30-day average capability both meters offer, the FreeStyle Lite can provide a seven-day average of blood sugar levels. And improved backlighting helps with testing and reading results in poorly lit areas, which is especially useful to people with vision difficulties.

Important

• Both of these meters let diabetics take blood samples from areas besides the fingers, which helps those with sensitive fingertips. Other parts of the body approved for testing with these meters include the hand, forearm, upper arm, the calf and the thigh.