Health Canada is asking people with diabetes to check whether their blood sugar monitors are subject to an international recall that poses a serious health risk.
A federal agency is recalling some FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensors that may provide “inaccurate” glucose readings.
“A subset of FreeStyle Libre® 3 plus sensors may provide false hypoglycemia readings. If undetected, false hypoglycemia readings over an extended period of time can lead to incorrect treatment decisions for people living with diabetes,” Health Canada said in the recall notice.
The recall warns that false readings could lead people to mistakenly believe their blood sugar levels are low.
Health Canada says if users are tricked into thinking their blood sugar levels are low, they may eat too many carbohydrates or skip or delay insulin doses, which can pose “serious health risks, including potential injury, death, or other less serious complications.”
A sensor is a device that measures glucose levels in body fluids just under the skin and sends that information wirelessly to your device or phone.
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Abbott Diabetes Care, which makes the device, said in a news release last month that the affected products may be linked to seven deaths and more than 700 injuries worldwide.
An Abbott spokesperson told The Canadian Press that the company would not disclose in which countries the reported injuries or deaths occurred.
Health Canada said it would respond, but was unable to respond to questions by deadline.
Another model, the FreeStyle Libre 3, has been recalled in other countries, including the United States, but Abbott said it has not been recalled in Canada.
The company said it had identified and resolved the production line issue.
Health Canada said people should stop using affected sensors, discard them and request replacements.
Models and serial numbers of affected products can be found on Health Canada's recall website.
– With files from Ari Rabinovitch of The Associated Press and Global
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