Do your diabetic patients monitor their blood glucose levels as often as they should? If not, a new and noninvasive way of doing so may one day help them comply better with your advice.

Researchers enlisted 92 type 1 and type 2 insulin-dependent diabetics in a study comparing conventional finger-stick testing by the HemoCue (a registered trademark of Aktiebolaget Leo, Helsingborg, Sweden) blood glucose analyzer with testing by the GlucoWatch (a registered trademark of Cygnus, Redwood City, Calif.) automatic glucose biographer. Study results indicated close agreement between the GlucoWatch biographer readings and those obtained through finger-stick testing. The GlucoWatch biographer also supplied more information than standard testing.

The GlucoWatch biographer is worn for 3 hours for equilibration. Then, after calibration by a blood glucose measurement, it can give up to three readings per hour for up to 12 hours by using reverse iontophoresis to collect glucose samples through intact skin. (Many doctors support the idea that glucose levels in subcutaneous layers are more important than blood levels because glucose is used in the tissue whereas blood is simply the "pipeline.")

The measurements are displayed for patient convenience on the monitor. The GlucoWatch biographer can also give the wearer alerts for high and low glucose levels, event markers to record meals, etc., and it takes automatic and frequent measurements.

An FDA advisory panel voted in December to recommend United States approval of the device. A final FDA decision is expected in the coming months. The Glucowatch has already been approved for sale in Europe.