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I found this study online. Uric acid meters reading are questionable. One of meters investigated is made by Apexbio which is the same brand I bought from Arcticmedical. The web article is here at this web site http://www.webmedcentral.com/article_view/1778 The article goes on to conclude that the meters always overestimate the situation of a user, which may lead to unnecessary medication treatment. What do you think.
It does not say the meters are inaccurate, it says the accuracy is questionable. That might seem like semantics to some, but you need to look at the context of home testing.
Most people I have heard from, including myself, have used home testing to help assess diet and other lifestyle changes. This study proves that home test kits produce consistent results. Therefore, it does not matter if results are overstated. You can still use those results to see if you are getting better or worse.
In every case that I am aware of, doctors will use their own results to determine uric acid lowering treatment dose, so the statement in the study conclusion(s) is misleading:
Since the two meters always overestimate the situation of a user, this may lead to unnecessary medication treatment.
The only time that is likely to happen is if both the following are true:
- Patients ignore prescribing instructions
- Doctors prescribe the correct dose in the first place
The massive failure of doctors all round the globe to get the second point right means that, at worst, home testing is helping to redress the balance. In reality, I believe the benefits of home uric acid testing, for those who want to micro-manage uric acid, far outweighs the spurious risks this study proffers.
P.S. Forgot to say – thanks @red92xblue for starting an interesting discussion. My thoughts and opinions are just that – mine. I’d love to hear what others think.
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