Effectiveness for self-monitoring of blood sugar on blood glucose control in Turkish patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Aim Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease requiring continuous monitoring and treatment. Self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) is frequently recommended. The purpose of the study was to evaluate effectiveness of SMBG on metabolic control in Turkish patients with type 2 DM. Methods The cross-sectional study enrolled type 2 diabetic patients without insulin regimen. The participants were assigned to three groups according to status of SMBG: group 1- regular, group 2 - irregular and group 3 - never SMBG implementation. Results A total of 349 patients were enrolled. There was no significant difference in mean fasting and post-prandial blood glucose, lipid profile values between the groups. The number of patients with high education level in group 1 was higher than groups 2 and 3 (p = 0.001). HbA1c level was higher in groups 2 and 3 than group I, but not significantly (p = 0.285). Mean spot urinary albumin-creatinine ratio (ACR) in group I is significantly lower than in groups 2 and 3 (p = 0.008 and p = 0.044, respectively), but no significant difference was observed between group 2 and 3 (p = 0.473). Conclusion The study indicated that regular use of SMBG was not superior to irregular/never use of SMBG on glycemic control, but it seemed to be good intervention for prevention of diabetic nephropathy. We suggestively offered that SMBG should be recommended for patients with a high education level to meet the goal of its use, and it should be incorporated into self-management with effective educational intervention.