Self-Monitoring of Glucose in Type 2 Diabetes

Some patients with type 2 diabetes who do not use insulin nevertheless monitor their blood glucose routinely at home. To determine the effect of self-monitoring, U.K. researchers conducted this randomized trial in patients with reasonably well-controlled diabetes who were not taking insulin. A total of 453 adults (mean age, 66) were assigned to one of three groups: (1) usual care without home glucose monitoring; (2) usual care plus home blood glucose monitoring, with instructions to call the doctor for interpretations of results; or (3) the same as group 2 plus additional training in interpreting blood glucose results.

At baseline, the mean hemoglobin A_1c level was about 7.5%. At 12 months, changes in hemoglobin A_1c levels, adjusted for base…