Are expired blood glucose test strips accurate?
Disease description:
Recently, I wanted to check my blood sugar, but the blood glucose test strips I purchased have expired. I would like to ask the doctor, are the results from expired blood glucose test strips accurate?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Bai Hongmei
Using expired blood glucose test strips may result in inaccurate readings.
Blood glucose test strips use enzymes to measure blood sugar levels. These enzymes may lose activity or become inactive after expiration, leading to inaccurate measurements. Moreover, blood glucose test strips contain chemicals that react with glucose in the blood to generate readings. These chemicals may gradually degrade over time, and if the strips are improperly stored—such as being exposed to moisture or direct sunlight—their chemical composition may change, also affecting the accuracy of the results. Furthermore, once expired, the performance of the test strips may deteriorate or fail completely, resulting in readings that do not match the actual blood glucose concentration.
It is recommended to use only unexpired blood glucose test strips that have been properly stored to ensure the accuracy and reliability of measurements. If the test strips are expired, discontinue use immediately and replace them with new ones. Additionally, regularly check the expiration dates of both the blood glucose meter and test strips, and follow proper storage methods. These are key steps to ensure accurate blood glucose monitoring.
