title: Home monitoring of blood-glucose. Method for improving diabetic control.
abstract: 64 diabetic patients measured their own blood-glucose concentration with "Dextrostix' (Ames) and an 'Eyetone' (Ames) meter. The records made at home by 53 of these patients have shown that this led to a significant improvement in blood-glucose control. A majority (64%) were able to maintain "good" control (80% of blood-glucose recordings equal to or less than 10 mmol/l for periods as long as 478 days). This hitherto unobtainable degree of control of blood-glucose was achieved mostly with conventional insulin regimens of twice-daily 'Actrapid' (Novo Laboratories Ltd.) and 'Leo-Retard' (Leo Laboratories Ltd.). Adjustments of insulin dosage and type were found to be much easier and more predictable than with urine-glucose analysis. No significant complications were encountered. Hypoglycaemic episodes were less frequent. 70% of patients preferred blood-tests to urine tests and 92% would like to buy their own meter "if the price was right." The results suggest that self-monitoring of blood-glucose by diabetics makes possible, for the first time, the achievement of near normoglycaemia. This may reduce the incidence of long-term diabetic complications.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D003258:Consumer Behavior; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000517:prevention & control; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000097:blood; D012189:Retrospective Studies
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin