WASHINGTON — The Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday that Abbott Laboratories is recalling up to 359 million testing strips used by diabetics because they can give falsely low blood-sugar readings.
The testing strips are used to help diabetes patients check their blood-sugar levels. But the FDA says the products being recalled by Abbott can give inaccurately low measurements. As a result, patients may try to raise their blood-sugar levels unnecessarily or fail to detect dangerously high blood-sugar levels.
The FDA said the problems are caused by a defect that limits the amount of blood absorbed by each strip.
North Chicago-based Abbott is recalling 359 lots marketed under half a dozen brand names: Precision Xceed Pro, Precision Xtra, Medisense Optium, Optium, OptiumEZ and ReliOn Ultima.
Abbott said ReliOn Ultima test strips are used with the ReliOn Ultima blood-glucose monitoring system and that system is not being recalled.
Abbott said it will replace the affected test strips at no charge.
Shares of Abbott fell 10 cents to $47.90 in afternoon trading Wednesday.
