Self-monitoring of blood glucose is of limited use in patients with type 2 diabetes who are not using insulin, finds a new analysis.
The Cochrane review looked at 12 randomised controlled trials including 3,259 patients with diabetes not using insulin who self-monitored their blood glucose.
They found only a small statistically significant decrease in HbA1c at six month follow-up - of 0.3% - compared to control groups of patients who did not monitor at all. By 12-months, there was no significant decrease (0.1%) and self-monitoring of blood glucose also showed no significant effects on measures of patient satisfaction, general well-being or health-related quality of life.
The authors concluded that while self-monitoring of blood glucose was effective for patients with type 1 diabetes, and those with type 2 diabetes who are using insulin, there was little to support wider use.
NICE guidelines currently recommend self-monitoring is offered only as an ‘integral part' of self management education.
Study lead Dr Uriëll Malanda, a GP researcher at the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Amsterdam, Netherlands said: ‘More research is needed to explore the psychological impact of self monitoring blood glucose and its accompanying demands on diabetes specific quality of life and well-being.'
http://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/newsarticle-content/-/article_display_list/13460483/no-good-evidence-for-self-monitoring-in-non-insulin-diabetes
Full Text
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005060.pub3/full
Graham
Please check out our website www.lowcarbdiabetic.co.uk We created and maintain this site without any help from anyone else. In doing so, we do not receive direct or indirect funding from anyone. We do not accept money or favours to manipulate the evidence in any way. Please visit our Low Carb food and recipe blog www.lowcarbdietsandrecipes.blogspot.com
2 comments:
Self testing without appropriate education re effects of carbs does not work - wow HOW MUCH did those trials cost?
Mind you have to wonder at the lack of feed back mechanisms in the minds of the participants!
"Oh my blood glucose has gone up to 20" "What could have caused that!"
John
There is plenty of good evidence to be found without going to the expense of a trial, on diabetes forums.
With the NHS cutbacks even some Type ones are being told to cut back on strips, this being the case I don't hold out much hope for the rest of us diabetics.
LCF
Post a Comment