Self-monitoring of blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are not using insulin

Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) may have an effect in improving glycaemic control up to one year after initiation in patients with type 2 diabetes who are not using insulin.

The quality of evidence is downgraded by study limitations (unclear allocation concealment and lack of blinding).

Summary

A Cochrane review included 12 studies with a total of 3259 patients to assess the effects of SMBG in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are not using insulin. Nine trials compared SMBG with usual care without monitoring, one study compared SMBG with self-monitoring of urine glucose (SMUG), one study was a three-armed trial comparing SMBG and SMUG with usual care and one study was a three-armed trial comparing less intensive SMBG and more intensive SMBG with a control group. Meta-analysis of studies including patients with a diabetes duration of one year or more showed a significant SMBG-induced decrease in HbA1c at up to 6 months follow-up (-0.3; 95% CI -0.4 to -0.1; n = 2324 participants, 9 trials), yet an overall non-significant SMBG- induced decrease was seen at 12 month follow-up (-0.1; 95% CI -0.3 to 0.04; n = 493 participants, 2 trials). Analysis of the effect of SMBG on well-being and quality of life showed no effect on patient satisfaction, general well-being or general health-related quality of life.

Clinical comments

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Ədəbiyyat

1. Malanda UL, Welschen LM, Riphagen II et al. Self-monitoring of blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are not using insulin. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012;1:CD005060.