No significant improvements in hemoglobin A1c levels, HRQOL seen in non-insulin-treated cases
For most patients with non-insulin-treated type 2 diabetes, routine self-monitoring of blood glucose does not significantly improve hemoglobin A1c levels or health-related quality of life, according to a study published online June 10 in JAMA Internal Medicine. The research was published to coincide with the annual meeting of the American Diabetes Association, held from June 9 to 13 in San Diego.
Laura Young, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine at Chapel Hill, and colleagues randomly assigned 450 patients with type 2 diabetes who weren’t taking insulin to monitor their blood glucose levels once a day with a typical glucometer, once a day with a monitor that gave them a feedback message, or to not monitor blood glucose levels at all. The participants in the study were from 15 primary care practices in North Carolina. Their average age was 61, and they’d had diabetes for an average of eight years.
After a year, the researchers found no differences between the groups in how well their blood glucose levels were controlled or in their quality of life. The team also found no notable differences in hypoglycemia frequency, health care utilization, or insulin initiation.
“Patients and clinicians should consider the specifics of each clinical situation as they decide whether to test or not to test,” the authors write.