For Diabetics Not on Insulin, Self-Monitoring Blood Sugar Has No Benefit.

"Uriëll L. Malanda of the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam and his colleagues reviewed 12 studies, of more than 3,000 non-insulin-using diabetics. The review showed that self-monitoring of blood sugar by these patients had only a modest effect on a measure called HbA1c, a standard for assessing blood glucose control. Over a six-month period, patients who tested their own blood glucose levels reduced HbA1c by about 0.3 percent. This effect nearly completely dissipated after 12 months"

This is not the first time, we have heard testing by non insulin using diabetics, is a waste of time and money. If memory serves, a report hit the diabetic community, stating the same around three years ago. Evidently knowing what our BG level is causes anxiety and anxiety is not a good thing. I have to agree with the medics and boffins. For many diabetics, testing is a waste of time, especially if they are following the usual dietary advice. Running double number BG numbers, should ring one hell of an alarm bell. The sad truth for many diabetics, following the usual dietary advice, almost guarantees anxiety caused by dangerously high BG numbers. I initially self diagnosed one Saturday afternoon, when I purchased a BG meter and saw 26mmol. Fives minutes later, after a quick Google around, anxiety was a word that seems very much an understatement. Stunned and horrified barely make it. Diabetes has killed off members of my family, jumping off Beachy Head is a far better option, than going down slowly, with diabetic complications I can assure you.

Let’s look at it from the medical professionals point of view. Could it be they suffer more anxiety than the patients ? A BG meter not only gives a reasonably accurate BG number, it also confirms, that the treatment plan is not working. It confirms the dietary advice is a complete crock. When you're running HbA1c close to twelve, metformin ain’t gonna make it, and nor will any other type two diabetes drug. So, if the ludicrous diet advice stands, insulin is the only answer to reduce BG numbers. Unfortunately it’s not that easy. Many over weight type two diabetics, have up to three times the plasma insulin levels, compared to a slim non diabetic. More insulin, is the last thing many newly diagnosed type two’s needs. It’s years of running high insulin levels, that leads to insulin resistance, in type two diabetics, and for some type one’s, the condition known as double diabetes. High plasma insulin levels causes as much damage as high blood glucose levels, how can more insulin be the answer for an insulin resistant type two diabetic ? Logic tells me making the patient more insulin resistant is not the answer.

The answer of course, is to reduce insulin levels down as far as possible. The body learns to adjust, and normal insulin sensitivity returns. This is totally impossible, while following the dietary information and advice given by the NHS and DUK. The NHS statistics for the UK, published annually confirm, no progress is being made in the fight against highly dangerous HbA1c numbers and diabetic complications.
Every day, I hear of diabetics who have stunned their healthcare teams, with huge weight reductions, non diabetic BG numbers, vastly improved lipids, reduced blood pressure etc. etc. and what do you know, they aren’t doing it with more type two drugs, or more insulin. It’s almost always achieved by a drastic, I repeat, a drastic, reduction in carbohydrate foods. The readers of this, and many other blogs and forums, know all this, so do the Doctors and Dietitions.

Why are so few, prepared to stand up to the idiocy, that has blighted the lives of millions, and sent so many, to an early grave. 'I was only following orders' didn’t wash at Nuremberg, and the ‘patient did not comply’ excuse is wearing way too thin.


Eddie

http://www.dlife.com/diabetes-news/content/diabetics-not-insulin-self-monitoring-blood-sugar-has-no-benefit