Lifescan, a Johnson & Johnson Company, has launched OneTouch, Ultra Systems, a daily blood glucose monitoring system. It is the first product in India to combine a less painful alternative to traditional fingerstick testing. It has a record test time of 5 seconds and the broadest operating temperature range of any system available in the market.

Traditional testing methods require patients to draw blood from the fingertip, which is associated with more pain. A survey conducted at the New England Center for Diabetes and Endocrinology found that from 1,600 people with diabetes, 85% said reducing the pain of testing was one of their top concerns.

The product is priced at Rs. 5,500/- and is available in all leading pharmacies in the city.

The system permits alternate site testing which allows one the freedom to test on the arm. This is less painful as there are fewer nerve endings than in the fingertips. It requires a blood sample of only 1 microlitre to complete the test. In just five seconds, OneTouch, Ultra System provides clinically accurate results, compared to the 30 to 50 seconds usually required. Its broad operating temperature range (6° to 44° C) gives people the freedom to test their blood glucose in a wider range of hot and cold conditions.

The use of OneTouch Ultra System supports better diabetes management with features such as a capacity of 150-test memory which include the time and date of the test, and a 14 and 30-day test averaging which allows the patient to accurately monitor his/ her condition.

Diabetes is a compelling issue in India with 35 million diabetics already existing with the number expected rise to 57 million in the year 2025. Several large, long-term studies have demonstrated that tight control of blood glucose levels by self-monitoring greatly reduces the risk of eye, nerve and kidney damage by up to 60 percent.