Evening Press journalist and diabetic Martin Lacy reports on an invention that is making his life so much better

ASK any diabetic what is the worst thing about their condition and chances are they will reply "checking my blood sugar levels." There are 1.4 million diabetics in Britain, with the number expected to double by the year 2010 and, with so many patients, medical developments are many and welcome.

Diabetes is the body's inability to produce enough insulin to break down potential dangerous sugars from our food in the blood and convert them to energy.

In Type I diabetes, which usually occurs in the young and is almost always treated with regular injections of insulin (up to four times a day), the body usually produces no, or very little, insulin.

In the more common Type II, which I have and which usually develops in early middle age among the overweight, the body usually produces insulin, but it can't produce enough or can't deal properly with blood glucose levels. This can be corrected with diet or tablets, although in more serious cases insulin is also used.

Whichever type you have, regular blood testing (from two or three times a week to three or four times a day) is essential. A build-up of blood sugars can lead to an increased chance of a heart attack or stroke, kidney damage, poor circulation and sight problems.

There's no easy life for diabetics: at the very least you'll be on a diet for the rest of your life; you may have to take tablets which cause stomach upsets, disorientation or diarrhoea; or - like me - you'll have to inject yourself every day (four times).

Yet, with modern superfine needles and insulin 'pens', injecting is simple and relatively pain-free. Simply dial up your required dose, pick an area of the body with fewer nerve endings (the lower stomach or the inside of the thighs) and Bob's your uncle.

Blood testing is a different ball game. You must take you blood from your fingertips, using a spring-loaded 'pen' and lancet. Then you smear some of the blood on to a prepared strip and either check it against a colour code or insert it into an electronic measuring meter. Either way it's damned painful.

Your fingertips are some of the most sensitive parts of your body and sticking a needle in them on a regular basis is not much fun. It's painful, they often bleed profusely (usually after you've failed to get blood from the adjoining finger!) and soon become sore.

Being a human pin cushion is no fun as an adult: imagine the problems parents have who have to regularly test small children.

Now that is all a thing of the past thanks to Medisense Products, which has developed the Soft-Sense meter that not only simplifies the process but, more importantly, makes it virtually pain-free.

Instead of slashing away at the fingertips, the Soft-Sense meter can be used on the forearm, the upper arm or the fleshy part of the thumb.

Needle and test strip are loaded together in the meter which then creates a vacuum over the test area before punching in the needle and drawing blood on to the strip.

The vacuum means there is virtually no pain - just a simple slap on the skin that you can hardly feel. The meter then takes 20 seconds to analyse the blood before giving you a read-out.

And instead of sore fingers and bloody smears, the only sign of the test area is a small round 'target' ring that disappears in a few minutes. Magic!

And, because the meter can be pre-loaded for up to eight hours before use, it's ideal for youngsters who are reluctant or unable to test their own blood during the day. Now mum or dad can set up the meter in a morning and the child can easily take a test during the day.

Accurate monitoring of blood sugar levels is vital in the treatment of all diabetics. Everyone shies away from pain and most diabetics test less regularly than they should. Soft-Sense does away with that problem: I've actually found myself testing more often than I need!

Pain-free testing comes at a price: the Medisense Soft-Sense meter costs £195 (on special introductory offer), between four and six times more expensive than current blood-testing meters. But what price a lifetime for pain-free blood testing?

More details of the product are availabile from the Medisense helpline on 0845 6073247. Needles for the meter are available on prescription and it is hoped that the test strips will soon also be available on the NHS. In the meantime, call the above number and Medisense will happily supply them free of charge.