Ask The Expert
Monitoring

As a person newly diagnosed with diabetes, you ask a very valid question. It is true that you can't take immediate action to lower a glucose reading with medication, although you may be able to modify your diet or exercise. However, there is more to it than that.

What Glucose Monitoring Can Do:

• Confirms that you are in your target range and provides positive feedback that you are meeting your goals. If you aren't yet at goal, then the glucose readings will help your diabetes team determine if you need to modify your diet or increase your exercise; the glucose readings may further assist your team in determining if any medication is needed, and when would be the best time to take it.
  • Blood glucose fluctuates throughout the day: each time you eat, your glucose rises, then peaks in about 1-2 hours, and then eventually returns to baseline about 4 hours later. You'll learn from other answers on this site that a common problem is normal glucose levels during the day except for high morning levels.
    
  • Yet another problem is that the pre-meal blood glucose levels might be in normal range, but the post-meal glucose levels are often extremely high. This would be missed if you only had a fasting glucose at the lab every few months.
  • Caution! It is a common misconception that you can tell what your glucose level is by how you feel. Research shows that most people cannot guess their glucose level reliably.
  • Each person is different, and determining your pattern will help you and your healthcare team to design a program that best meets your needs.
• Determines relationship between hunger and blood glucose levels: Monitoring can help you understand the relationship between hunger and blood glucose level--i.e. often there is NO relationship! You can be starving yet have a blood glucose of 90--or 300; or you can feel full yet have a blood glucose of 90--or 300.
  
• Shows the effect of food: Provides feedback to help you understand the effects of different foods and different carbohydrate types and amounts on your blood glucose. Testing before and 2 hours after the start of the meal, while carefully recording your food intake, will best accomplish this. (Please refer to other answers in the archives, which will help you understand this concept).
  
• Shows the effect of exercise: While exercise is an excellent way to help you control your diabetes as well as your weight and cardiovascular health, it can temporarily raise or lower your blood glucose. It is important for you to observe and understand how your body responds to exercise.
  
• Shows the effect of stress or illness: There are common misconceptions that if you are ill or upset and eating less, that your blood glucose will be lower. The opposite usually happens. So testing during these times will alert you of a potential problem, so you can contact your healthcare team if your blood glucose exceeds its allowable target range.

Studies prove that monitoring glucose improves control:

• Even in people with type 2 diabetes, those who monitored their glucose levels had an overall better level of control. Naturally it is important to have access to a healthcare team who can assist you in interpreting the results and help you with any necessary lifestyle changes.
• While people taking insulin might test 2-4 times or more daily, if you are on no diabetes medication, you might only test 1-2 times daily, or less. There are a variety of ways to alternate your testing schedule:
  • Test before and after one particular meal period for several days, to see the effects of various foods at that mealtime.
    
  • Test twice a day, every other day, varying the time of the test.
    
  • Test once a day, but vary the time of the test each day-before or after a meal or before bed.
    
  • Of course, discuss these options with your healthcare team to determine what is best for you.
• Finally, be sure to document all pertinent information so that both you and your healthcare team can get the most from your glucose monitoring efforts.