Don’t prescribe routine glucose self-monitoring to Type 2 diabetes patients who are being treated with drugs that do not cause hypoglycemia.

Don’t prescribe routine glucose self-monitoring to Type 2 diabetes patients who are being treated with drugs that do not cause hypoglycemia.

Type of practice

Laboratory tests

Age

Adult, Geriatric

Topic Area

Diabetology

In patients with type 2 diabetes being treated with drugs which do not cause hypoglycemia, once the glycemic objective has been reached and the results of self- monitoring become fairly predictable, daily monitoring of the glycemia does not add information for maintaining glycemic control, and sometimes can cause anxiety. There are many exceptions like, for example, use for educational purposes, acute illnesses that can recur,worsening of glycemic compensation, the use of hypoglycemizing drugs, when self- monitoring is often indispensable from time to time in order to achieve set goals.

Sources

1. Clar C, Barnard K, Cummins E, Royle P, Waugh N. Self-monitoring of blood glucose in type 2 diabetes: systematic review. Health Technol Assess 2010; 14(12).
2. Malanda UL, Welschen LMC, Riphagen II, et al. Self-monitoring of blood glucose in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who are not using insulin. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2012, Issue 1. Art. No.: CD005060.
3. AMD-SID. Standard italiani per la cura del diabete mellito 2014. www.standarditaliani.it

Attention. Please note that these items are provided only for information and are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a clinician. Patients with any specific questions about the items on this list or their individual situation should consult their clinician.