Home Blood Glucose Monitoring

Abstract

Diabetes affects more than 37 million Americans. More than one-third of American adults (96 million) have prediabetes, so it is anticipated that the prevalence of diabetes will continue to climb in the generation to come. There have been major advances in the options for home glucose monitoring. Home glucose monitoring provides critical information and feedback for patients with diabetes to help them understand how daily activities affect their glucose levels and timely data to assist in behavior reinforcement and modification. Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is of great value to those with type 1 diabetes and those with type 2 diabetes on insulin as it reduces HbA1c and rates of hypoglycemia. Currently, there is less support for long-term benefit of SMBG in those with type 2 diabetes not on insulin or insulin secretagogues. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is becoming increasingly available to help manage diabetes. This form of monitoring provides benefits in terms of HbA1c, reduced time and rates of hypoglycemia, and increased time in range for those on insulin. CGM reports now include standardized reporting and target goals that will make widespread use easier to implement. This article will review the current data on home glucose monitoring for those with diabetes.