A British study shows patient monitoring of glucose levels may not be essential to controlling type 2 diabetes for those not taking insulin.
The study, published in the online edition of the British Medical Journal, found no conclusive evidence that home monitoring improved glucose control, Health Day said Wednesday.
Lead researcher Dr. Andrew Farmer, a lecturer in the Department of Primary Health Care at the University of Oxford, said some patient groups and doctors are in favor of having patients monitor their own blood sugar but some insurance companies discourage it because of the expense.
He said half of the patients who were given glucose monitors stopped using them before the end of the study.
Farmer said the value of home monitoring remains necessary and worthwhile for people with type 1 diabetes, and for people with type 2 diabetes who are taking insulin.
Copyright 2007 by United Press International
