Self-monitoring blood glucose levels may be a waste of time?

In a new study British scientists are questioning just how valid the self-monitoring of blood glucose levels by patients with type 2 diabetes is.

The theory is that home glucose monitoring works by helping patients adjust their medications and encourages them to take their diabetes more seriously, motivating diabetics to change their behaviour.

The researchers are suggesting that the current guidelines for self-monitoring among well-controlled, non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetic patients needs to be reviewed.

The suggestions have come about as a result of a study by Dr. Andrew Farmer and colleagues at the Department of Primary Health Care at Oxford University.

For the study, Farmer's team randomly assigned 453 patients with type 2 diabetes to one of three groups; one group had their blood sugar level checked three times a month; the second group was given a meter to test their blood sugar at home and told to have their doctor interpret the results, while a third group was given meters and taught how to interpret the findings themselves.

As a rule, non-insulin dependent (type 2) diabetes appears in people over 40, particularly when the person is overweight and in most cases a change in diet, loss of weight and oral medication controls the condition, and insulin injections are not needed.

Self monitoring for type 2 diabetes is a costly business but many doctors believe that it helps to control blood glucose levels and commonly recommend it but the researchers say the cost, effort and time involved in the procedures may be better used in other health-related behaviours.

It appears that after a 12 month period the researchers found there was no evidence that blood glucose monitoring, with or without instruction, improved glucose control compared with usual care.

The team also found that half of the people who had been given the glucose monitors stopped using them before the end of the study.

The findings which were presented at the American Diabetes Association Conference in Chicago, do not apply to type 2 diabetics who must take insulin.