A method and apparatus for calibrating noninvasive or implantable glucose analyzers uses either alternative invasive glucose determinations or noninvasive glucose determinations for calibrating noninvasive or implantable glucose analyzers. Use of an alternative invasive or noninvasive glucose determination in the calibration allows minimization of errors due to sampling methodology, and spatial and temporal variations that are built into the calibration model. An additional embodiment uses statistical correlations between noninvasive and alternative invasive glucose determinations and traditional invasive glucose determinations to adjust noninvasive or alternative invasive glucose concentrations to traditional invasive glucose concentrations. The invention provides a means for calibrating on the basis of glucose determinations that reflect the matrix observed and the variable measured by the analyzer more closely. A glucose analyzer couples an invasive fingerstick meter to a noninvasive glucose analyzer for calibration, validation, adaptation, and safety check of the calibration model embodied in the noninvasive analyzer.