Is Monitoring of Blood Glucose Necessary in Diabetics Who Don Use Insulin?
In the United States, nearly 21 million people live with diabetes. A smaller proportion has type 1 diabetes, a lifelong condition in which the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. All people with type 1 diabetes take insulin and check blood glucose levels several times a day with a device called a blood glucose monitor or meter. The vast majority of people with diabetes has type 2 diabetes which generally occurs more gradually with onset later in life. In type 2 diabetes, either the body does not produce enough insulin or is not able to process it properly. In the U.S. most endocrinologists suggest that all people with diabetes test their blood sugar regularly. Blood glucose monitoring is supposed to help people manage their diabetes more effectively by influencing daily behaviors. But a new study published in the British Medical Journal calls into question whether blood glucose monitoring is really necessary for some patients who have type 2 diabetes. This study investigated the
