Many diabetic patients do not monitor their blood glucose regularly

Despite the good evidence to show that glucose control decreases the risk of microvascular and other complications in patients with diabetes, Evans et al (p 83) found that regular self monitoring of blood glucose was uncommon among over 1500 diabetic patients in Tayside, Scotland. Only 20% of patients with type 1 diabetes and 17% of patients with type 2 diabetes obtained enough reagent strips to test blood glucose at least once daily. Increasing age and social deprivation were associated with reduced frequency of testing. There was a direct relation between the number of reagent strips obtained in the previous 6 month period and glycaemic control in patients with type 1 diabetes. Regular self monitoring may therefore be important for good diabetic control.

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Relevant Article

Frequency of blood glucose monitoring in relation to glycaemic control: observational study with diabetes database

Josie M M Evans, Ray W Newton, Danny A Ruta, Thomas M MacDonald, Richard J Stevenson, and Andrew D Morris
BMJ 1999 319: 83-86. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]