#3 Glucose Self-Monitoring in Type 2 Diabetics Not Using Insulin: Is it Bitter Sweet?
CLINICAL QUESTION
What are the pros and cons of self-monitoring blood glucose for Type 2 diabetics not using insulin?
BOTTOM LINE
Routine self-monitoring of blood glucose in Type 2 diabetics who do not use insulin has no clinical benefits, is not cost-effective, and may reduce quality of life.
Reading Tools for Practice Article can earn you MainPro+ Credits
Join NowAlready a CFPCLearn Member? Log in
EVIDENCE
An individual-patient-level meta-analysis1 of six Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) with 2,552 patients managing their Type 2 diabetes without insulin:
- Mean HbA1c at baseline 8.3% (~1/4 had baseline HbA1c >9%).
- Self-monitoring of blood glucose reduced HbA1c by:
- 0.2% at six months.
- 0.35% at one year.
- This is below the minimum difference thought to be clinically important (>0.5%).2
- No difference in:
- Overall wellbeing or quality of life.
- Symptomatic hypoglycemic episodes.
- HbA1c reduced by 0.3%.
- Self-monitoring blood glucose weekly lowered HbA1c by only 0.12% compared to monitoring twice yearly.
- Despite highly-motivated patients and intensive follow-up in these RCTs, only one-third to one-half of patients adhered to the self-monitoring protocol over 12 months.4-7
- Other systematic reviews8,9 and RCTs with more intensively-structured self-monitoring plans7 show similar, clinically insignificant differences.
- Trials thus far have been underpowered to evaluate the effect on clinical outcomes
- The achieved 0.2-0.35% HbA1c reduction would be expected to reduce clinical outcomes related to diabetes by a mere relative 3-8%.10
- Some RCTs6,11 and supporting studies12 show worsening depressive symptoms6,12 and negative impact on quality of life11,12 with self-monitoring.
- Regular self-monitoring is not cost-effective.11
- Eight public drug plans are spending $247 million/year on test strips,13 so the total Canadian expenditure would be far more.
- While regular self-monitoring in Type 2 diabetics not on insulin appears unnecessary, this population should still know how to test their blood glucose in case they have symptoms of hypoglycemia, they are feeling ill, or they are interested in seeing the impacts of lifestyle behaviors.
Latest Tools for Practice
#363 Making a difference in indifference? Medications for apathy in dementia
In patients with dementia, how safe and effective are stimulants, antidepressants, and antipsychotics for treating apathy?
#362 Facing the Evidence in Acne, Part I: Oral contraceptives and spironolactone in females
How effective are combined oral contraceptives (COC) and spironolactone for treating acne of at least mild-moderate severity in females?
#361 Preventing RSV Infections in Infants
How safe and effective are monoclonal antibodies to prevent respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections in infants?
confirms what I thought