Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Meta Analysis of Effectiveness

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Investigators: Paul Shekelle, MD, PhD, Brett Munjas, BA, Marla Romanova, MD, Ali Towfigh, MD, Jane Weinreb, MD, Annie Zhou, MS, and Marika Suttorp, MS. Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Healthcare System/Souther California/RAND Washington (DC): Department of Veterans Affairs; September 2007.

Download PDF: Complete Report, Executive Summary, Report, Appendices

Summary / Overview

Diabetes is a prevalent and costly disease in Veterans. Control of blood glucose is an important VA objective. Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is advocated as a method to better achieve control. The Key Questions investigated in this report were:

1. Is regular SMBG effective in either achieving or maintaining target A1c levels for patients with type 2 diabetes?
2. Does regular SMBG reduce the frequency of hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes?
3. Is there evidence that different frequencies of testing result in differences in improvements in A1c?

See also

Towfigh A, Romanova M, Weinreb JE, Munjas B, Suttorp MJ, Zhou A, Shekelle PG. Self-monitoring of blood glucose levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. mellitus not taking insulin: a meta-analysis. Am J Manag Care. 2008; 14(7):468-75. Review.