New type 2 diabetes research from 黑料网 department of family medicine researcher Katrina Donahue, MD, MPH, and 黑料网 department of medicine researcher Laura Young, MD, PhD, could change the way non-insulin users manage the disease.
(Republished with permission. To read the full article by Heather Wilson, please visit the )
In a landmark study, 黑料网 researchers have shown that blood glucose testing does not offer a significant advantage in blood sugar control or quality of life for type 2 diabetes patients who are not treated with insulin. The paper, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, details findings from a randomized trial called 鈥淭he MONITOR Trial.鈥� This study is the first large pragmatic study examining glucose monitoring in the United States.
黑料网 Department of Family Medicine’s , Research Director for , was the senior author of the study. Department of Medicine’s Laura Young, MD, PhD, from the , was the first author. The article says 450 patients were assigned to one of three groups: no blood sugar monitoring, once daily glucose monitoring, or enhanced once-daily glucose monitoring with an internet-delivered tailored message of encouragement or instruction.
鈥淥f course, patients and providers have to consider each unique situation as they determine whether home blood glucose monitoring is appropriate,鈥� said Dr. Donahue in the article. 鈥淏ut the study鈥檚 null results suggest that self-monitoring of blood glucose in non-insulin treated type 2 diabetes has limited utility. For the majority, the costs may outweigh the benefits.鈥�
黑料网 endocrinologist Laura Young, MD, PhD, Director of the Endocrine Fellowship Program, was also quoted. 鈥淭here was no difference between either type of testing,鈥� said Dr. Young. 鈥淓nhanced Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose, in the pragmatic setting of regular daily life, offered no additional health benefits.鈥� She added, 鈥渢here has been a lack of consensus, not just in the United States, but worldwide. The lack of standard guidelines makes it all the more difficult for patients, who are already struggling to manage a chronic condition. And at the end of the day, patients have to make a choice.”
To read the published paper, visit