HOME GLUCOSE MONITORING IN TYPE-2 DIABETES - IS IT A WASTE OF TIME

A cross-sectional study to assess home glucose monitoring practices wa s conducted in 200 non-insulin-treated diabetic patients consecutively attending our hospital clinic. Of the 200, 97 (48 %) patients (Group 1) regularly monitored urine (n = 74), blood (n = 19) or both (n = 4); 103 (52 %) patients (Group 2) performed no home monitoring. The two g roups were similar in terms of age, sex, duration of diabetes and type of treatment. The prevalence of diabetic complications was also close ly comparable and only peripheral neuropathy differed between the grou ps, being more common in Group 1 (n = 12) than Group 2 (n = 4); p < 0. 05. There was also no significant difference between the HbA1 concentr ation (mean +/- SD) in Group 1 (9.7 +/- 2.2 %) and Group 2 (9.4 +/- 2. 0 %). The mean frequency of home monitoring was four tests weekly, but only 21 (22 %) kept a written record and 60 (62 %) would never alter their treatment on the basis of their results. Almost a third of patie nts could not interpret the results of monitoring or give the normal r ange of values. Home glucose monitoring, particularly of urine, is wid ely practised in Type 2 diabetes, at considerable overall expense. How ever, convincing evidence of its value in helping patients improve the ir blood glucose control or preventing the complications of the diseas e is lacking.