Role of Pathology and Point of Care Testing in the Estimation of Fasting Blood Glucose Levels in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a global health concern with significant morbidity and mortality. Effective management of type 2 DM necessitates accurate monitoring of fasting blood glucose levels. Traditional laboratory methods, while accurate, are not always convenient for patients, leading to a growing interest in reliable point-of-care testing. Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of fasting blood glucose measurements between point-of-care testing using a glucometer and traditional laboratory methods (hexokinase and end-point) to determine the feasibility of home-based patient monitoring. Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study included 150 type 2 DM patients from Farooq Hospital Westwood, Lahore. Participants underwent fasting blood glucose testing using three methods: the hexokinase method, the end-point method, and a glucometer (Accu-check instant S Meter). The Pearson correlation was employed to assess the linear relationship between the methods, while multivariate ANOVA was used to compare the means. Results: The Pearson correlation coefficients indicated a strong positive correlation between the glucometer readings and both laboratory methods, with coefficients of 0.994 for hexokinase and 0.997 for the end-point method. The average fasting blood glucose levels measured were 128.43 mg/dL (±61.257) for hexokinase, 128.59 mg/dL (±61.110) for the end-point method, and slightly lower at 123.59 mg/dL (±58.920) for the glucometer. Conclusion: The study concluded that glucometer readings are highly correlated with traditional laboratory methods, indicating that point-of-care testing can be a reliable alternative for patients to monitor fasting blood glucose levels at home.