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Poll Results
In the past year, how many times have you tested for ketones?
Never
14%
72
A few times
45%
227
Almost every month
19%
99
Almost every week
9%
46
More than once a week
4%
21
Almost everyday
3%
18
I don't know what ketones are
2%
13
Total votes: 496
In the past year, how many times have you tested for ketones?
Poll dates: December 3 - 10, 2006
Total Votes: 496Just about 60% of our readers report testing for ketones a few times per year or less. Less than one-fifth (19%) report testing every month, and only 9% report testing almost once a week. These results are essentially the same as last year (see table below).
For people who check ketones frequently, urine test strips in a vial are the most economical, costing as little as 16 cents per strip. For those who test infrequently, foil wrapped ketone strips are a better choice because vials expire 90 days after opening. Foil wrapped strips cost about 40 cents per strip, but you don't waste lots of strips due to expiration.
However, there is a better way to check for ketones -- checking for blood ketones. We have a summary of the benefits of blood ketone testing, along with citations to recent studies, in our Care Suggestions page (see item five). Two recent studies stand out:
- Sick day management using blood 3-hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB) compared with urine ketone monitoring reduces hospital visits in young people with T1DM: a randomized clinical trial.
- Early detection of insulin deprivation in continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion-treated patients with type 1 diabetes.
For people who check blood ketones using the Precision Xtra, ketone test strips cost about $30 for eight, or about $3.75 per test. If you check for ketones 10 times per year, that's about $40 per year, about the same price you'd pay to keep your urine ketone strips current. If you check more frequently, then urine ketone strips are less expensive, but lack the clinical benefits highlighted in the studies cited above.
This table summarizes the results of this poll over the past years:
Answer Dec 2006 Dec 2005 Sep 2004 Sep 2003 Never 14% 15% 14% 13% A few times 45% 48% 50% 43% Almost every month 19% 19% 17% 18% Almost every week 9% 8% 9% 10% More than once a week 4% 4% 3% 5% Almost everyday 3% 1% 2% 4% I don't know what ketones are 2% 2% 1% 3% For more information, see our page about Hyperglycemia and Ketone Testing.
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Last Updated: Sunday December 10, 2006 10:38:14
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