Differences between Point-of-Care Blood Glucose Analyzers in Identifying Prediabetes

Background: According to the ADA, 84 million Americans have prediabetes and are at risk for developing diabetes. Ninety percent of those Americans don’t know they have it and are at a higher risk of serious health complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and blindness. Early identification of prediabetes facilitated by corporate health and wellness screening companies is an important aspect of diabetes prevention. Method: Approximately 25,000 blood glucose results were obtained between 2015 and 2016 from four corporate wellness sites using both the Alere Cholestech LDX® and the PTS Diagnostics CardioChek® Plus. The glucose results were compared to the CDC’s 2017 National Diabetes Statistics Report and the percent of nondiabetic, prediabetic, and diabetic populations were tabulated using clinical decision limits of < 100, 100-125, and ≥ 126 mg/dL, respectively. Fisher’s exact test was used to evaluate statistical differences between the U.S. population relative to the LDX or CardioChek Plus blood glucose results. Results: Based on the CDC report, 12% of the U.S. population (> 18 years) is diabetic. The remaining population was calculated at 34% prediabetic and 54% nondiabetic. The LDX results under-reported the prediabetic population at 20% and over-reported the nondiabetic population at 73% (p=0.015). CardioChek Plus results were more aligned with U.S. population statistics at 32% prediabetic and 59% nondiabetic (p=0.645). Unlike prediabetes, there were no statistical differences in classifying diabetes with the LDX or CardioChek Plus. Conclusion: Both point-of-care analyzers were helpful in screening for prediabetes. The CardioChek Plus more accurately categorized prediabetes relative to U.S. population statistics. The PTS Diagnostics CardioChek Plus offers reliable results to help recognize prediabetes and prevent its progression to diabetes.