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Poll Results
In the past year, how many times have you checked for ketones?
Never
14%
59
A few times
49%
199
Almost every month
17%
69
Almost every week
8%
34
More than once a week
3%
16
Almost everyday
3%
14
I don't know what ketones are
2%
10
Total votes: 401
In the past year, how many times have you checked for ketones?
Poll dates: November 5 - 12, 2008
Total Votes: 401Almost two-thirds (64%) of our readers report checking for ketones a few times per year or less. One in six (17%) report checking every month, and just 8% report checking almost once a week. These results are very similar to previous times we've run this poll (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. 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 Nov 2008 Dec 2007 Dec 2006 Dec 2005 Sep 2004 Sep 2003 Never 15% 11% 14% 15% 14% 13% A few times 49% 45% 45% 48% 50% 43% Almost every month 16% 21% 19% 19% 17% 18% Almost every week 7% 9% 9% 8% 9% 10% More than once a week 4% 5% 4% 4% 3% 5% Almost everyday 3% 3% 3% 1% 2% 4% I don't know what ketones are 3% 3% 2% 2% 1% 3% For more information, see our page about Hyperglycemia and Ketone Testing.
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Last Updated: Wednesday November 12, 2008 06:52:13
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