April 8, 2003
Blood Tests and Insulin Injections
Question from Irvine, California, USA:
Someone mentioned to me today that studies are being done on testing glucose levels through the breath. Apparently, there seems to be some direct correlation between exhaled alcohols and glucose levels. Have you heard of this?
Answer:
As to measuring blood glucose in the breath, this is not possible unless you use a mass spectrometer because glucose is not volatile. I imagine that what you may have read about are breath analyzers that measure ketones. It’s possible to argue that monitoring blood sugar levels indirectly as blood acetone is as effective a road to good control as measuring blood sugar. There have been several devices for doing exactly this. Although they avoid finger pricks, they are cumbersome. In the end, the measurement is indirect and the new Alternate Site Testing monitors are a better way to go.
DOB
