A recent study has revealed that self-monitoring of blood glucose levels in case of Type-2 diabetes patients does not do anything to improve the health-related quality of life. This happens with the patients who are not treated with insulin. The results of a randomised trial indicated that self-monitoring should not be a routine in case of Type-2 diabetes patients. Many Type-2 diabetes patients who are not treated with insulin undergo self-monitoring of blood glucose levels, although the accuracy of value has been debated for long.
How the study was conducted? What does it conclude?
Katrina E. Donahue and Laura A. Young of the University of North Carolina conducted a study with 450 patients with non-insulin-treated Type-2 diabetes. The patients analysed were an average of 61 years old and had diabetes for an average of eight years. 75% were performing SMBG at baseline.
The patients were given to one of three groups, that is, those who performed no SMBG, those who performed SMBG one everyday and those who performed SMBG daily but received enhanced feedback messages delivered through their blood glucose meters. The study analysed haemoglobin A1c levels in all the three groups and health-related quality of life after one year. The results signified that there were no significant difference in glycemic control or health-related quality of life after a year between patients who did CMBG compared with those who didn't.
Attrition in the SMBG monitoring groups could explain why some improvements were initially seen in hemoglobin A1c levels in the early months that weren't significant at 12 months, according to the study. The study also did not determine the effectiveness of SMBG in certain clinical situations, such as when a new medication is started or when a dose is changed.
The authors warn the results do not apply to patients with diabetes treated with insulin. Based on these findings, patients and clinicians should engage in dialogue regarding SMBG with the current evidence suggesting that SMBG should not be routine for most patients with non- insulin-treated T2DM [type 2 diabetes mellitus].
The study is published by JAMA Internal Medicine
(With ANI Inputs)
