What is the shelf life of blood glucose test strips?
Disease description:
After my mother was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, she has been monitoring her blood glucose levels daily. Therefore, we purchased some blood glucose test strips. Could you please tell me how long the shelf life of these test strips is?
Doctor's answer (2)
Dr. Shi Jizhou
Blood glucose test strips are categorized into two types:
1. **Glucose Oxidase Test Strips**: These are highly susceptible to moisture and oxygen in the air. For bottle-packed strips, the shelf life is limited to three months after opening. Individually packaged or unopened strips typically have a shelf life of approximately 18 months.
2. **Glucose Dehydrogenase Test Strips**: These are unaffected by ambient moisture and oxygen levels, and generally remain effective for over one year.
