Bayer Diabetes Care Launches A1CNow(R) SELFCHECK, A New A1C Monitor For At-Home Use

Main Category: Diabetes
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 03 Jun 2009 - 1:00 PST

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Bayer Diabetes Care announced the launch of A1CNow(R) SELFCHECK, a new A1C monitor that enables people with diabetes to check their A1C level at home. Measurement of A1C provides an average assessment of blood sugar levels over the past three months -- and is an indicator of how well diabetes is being managed. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently cleared Bayer's A1CNow SELFCHECK which enables patients to more closely watch their A1C level in between healthcare provider visits so they may modify their diet and exercise, or have a more informed discussion with their healthcare provider based on the results.

A1CNow SELFCHECK, which is now available without a prescription and through leading online pharmacies, provides at-home results within five minutes, has an easy-to-use design and delivers lab accuracy. Measuring A1C levels is important for consistent diabetes management, as even a one-percent reduction in A1C reduces the risk of serious complications by 40 percent(1).

"A1C testing is an important measure of long-term diabetes management, however, some patients will skip having their A1C tested because they're worried about what their healthcare provider will say if their A1C levels are not good," said Steve Edelman, MD, founder and director, Taking Control of Your Diabetes. "A1CNow SELFCHECK is a new tool that allows people with diabetes to test their A1C level in the comfort and privacy of their own home, to get the information they need to manage their disease in-between healthcare provider visits."

At the healthcare provider's office patients can be tested with Bayer's A1CNow+ monitor, which provides results within five minutes, enabling physicians to evaluate their patients' overall diabetes control and discuss lifestyle and treatment modifications during the appointment, rather than waiting for lab results a few days later. A1CNow SELFCHECK complements the healthcare provider-administered A1C test but is not intended to replace it or routine blood glucose testing. Bayer's A1CNow SELFCHECK, when used in conjunction with Bayer's CONTOUR(R) or BREEZE(R)2 blood glucose meters, may help patients achieve tighter control in managing their diabetes, and therefore may reduce longer term complications.

"Bayer's A1CNow SELFCHECK provides patients with a new way to partner with their healthcare providers to better achieve good blood sugar control on both a daily basis and over the long-term," said Sandra Peterson, president of Bayer Diabetes Care. "This new product builds on our history of innovation, which began with Bayer's invention of the first portable blood glucose meter 40 years ago, and represents a significant step forward in helping patients simplify life with diabetes."

About A1C(1),(2)

A1C is a measure of how much sugar is attached to hemoglobin - a protein inside the red blood cells. The more sugar there is in the blood, the more will stick to hemoglobin, which increases a patient's A1C level. Once it sticks, sugar remains on the hemoglobin for the life of the red blood cell, about three months.

An A1C reading provides the average blood sugar level over the past three months and indicates how well blood sugar is being managed. A1C levels, for most people without diabetes, range from four to six percent. For most patients with diabetes, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends an A1C under seven percent. A1C levels higher than seven percent increase the risk of developing complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, eye disease, nerve damage, amputations and circulation problems. An A1C over seven percent may prompt a physician to re-evaluate the diabetes management plan to help bring the A1C closer to normal.

The ADA recommends performing an A1C test at least two times a year in patients who are meeting treatment goals and have stable glycemic control. The ADA recommends testing four times a year for patients whose therapy has changed or are not meeting glycemic goals.

Bayer Diabetes Care

Bayer Diabetes Care, a worldwide leader in diabetes, supports customers in 100 countries. Since 1941, Bayer has led the way in diabetes care product innovation with: reagent tablets, the first portable blood glucose meter and test strips, the measurement of A1C (glycated hemoglobin) with the A1CNow+ monitor and the first suite of blood glucose monitors with No Coding(TM) technology (CONTOUR and BREEZE2) that today offer people with diabetes an unparalleled choice in diabetes management systems.

Bayer Diabetes Care also offers comprehensive support to people with diabetes including education, tools and resources designed to simplify life with diabetes.

Bayer HealthCare

The Bayer Group is a global enterprise with core competencies in the fields of health care, nutrition and high-tech materials. Bayer HealthCare, a subsidiary of Bayer AG, is one of the world's leading, innovative companies in the healthcare and medical products industry, and is based in Leverkusen, Germany. The company combines the global activities of the Animal Health, Consumer Care, Medical Care and Pharmaceuticals divisions. The pharmaceuticals business operates under the name Bayer Schering Pharma. Bayer HealthCare's aim is to discover and manufacture products that will improve human and animal health worldwide.

References

(1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National diabetes fact sheet: general information and national estimates on diabetes in the United States, 2003

(2) ADA testing guidelines: http://www.diabetes.org/type-1-diabetes/a1c-test.jsp

Source: Bayer Diabetes Care

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