Blood Glucose Self-Monitoring in Non-Insulin Treated Type 2 Diabetics

Self-monitoring of blood glucose is promoted as a means of improving glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Evidence supporting this practice, however, is inconsistent. In a meta-analysis of six randomized trials with individual patient data from >2500 participants (mean age, 60; 54% men; median diabetes duration, 36 months), researchers assessed the effectiveness of blood glucose self-monitoring compared with usual care without self-monitoring in patients with non-insulin treated type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Mean glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA_1c) was 8.3% at baseline. In participants randomized to self-monitoring, adjusted mean HbA_1c levels were 0.18%, 0.25%, and 0.23% lower than in those who received usual care after 3, 6, and 12 mo…