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The Fremantle Diabetes Study Showed that monitoring less then once a day did not improve glycemic control. See Publishers Note
The study sought to determine whether self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is associated with better glycemic control in type 2 diabetes.
They used cross-sectional and longitudinal data from type 2 diabetic participants in the observational, community-based Fremantle Diabetes Study (FDS) who reported SMBG status at study entry (n = 1,286) and annual reviews over 5 years (n = 531).
The results showed that —At study entry, 70% of patients performed SMBG, with a median of four tests per week (interquartile range two to seven). Patients with shorter diabetes duration; who were attending diabetes education, diabetes-related clinics, or medical specialists; who were taking insulin with or without oral hypoglycemic agents (OHAs); and who were self-reporting hypoglycemic events were more likely to use SMBG. Both cross-sectional and longitudinal FDS data showed that HbA1c (A1C) was not significantly different between SMBG users and nonusers, either overall or within diabetes treatment groups (diet, OHAs, and insulin with or without OHAs). There was also no independent cross-sectional relationship between A1C and SMBG frequency.
From the results they concluded that neither SMBG testing nor its frequency was associated with glycemic benefit in type 2 diabetic patients regardless of treatment. The data did not include methods of SMBG delivery and application, factors that require further assessment in the evaluation of SMBG utility in non–insulin-treated type 2 diabetes. SMBG may be still of value in the identification and prevention of hypoglycemia and in dose adjustment in insulin-treated patients.
Publishers Note: It is obvious that monitoring less then once a day will not derive any benefits in better control, because once a day will not provide enough information to make any changes. But my expericence has shown that when a patient monitors their postprandial blood sugars after one or two meals a day, they learn something new and will make changes to their diet and exercise, which will show an improvement in control. If you have a comment feel free to email me at publisher@diabetesincontrol.com
Diabetes Care 29:1764-1770, 2006
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