June 20, 2017

The Value of Blood Glucose Testing War Still Goes On



On June 11, Gretchen Becker wrote about this topic in her website http://wildlyfluctuating.blogspot.com/ and did an excellent job of explaining the source she used.  I am using a different source, but the wording is the same as they both used the output of the study. 

To me this is as if Dr. Robert Ratner is still pushing for no testing when he said “Many people with type 2 diabetes who are on medications don't need to do home glucose monitoring at all," in talking about oral medications.  They want you to use the A1C test to determine how you are doing.  

I am used to being around some people using oral medications that are buying test strips with their own money, because they don’t trust the A1C test on a quarterly basis or like many, twice a year. 

Many patients with type 2 diabetes consider finger-prick blood tests key for keeping blood glucose levels under control.  But according to a new study, they are unlikely to be beneficial for patients who are not receiving insulin therapy.  To this, I say bull-manure.  Testing is important to track your levels and know that you need to make changes in what you eat, the amount of exercise you need, and other factors. 

In type 2 diabetes, the body is unable to effectively use insulin, which is a hormone that helps to regulate blood glucose levels. As a result, glucose accumulates in the blood.
Left untreated, high blood glucose levels can lead to severe complications, including kidney disease, stroke, and nerve damage.

While some patients with type 2 diabetes require insulin therapy, the majority of patients are able to manage their condition through diet, exercise, and medication, such as metformin.
What is not even accounted for in the trail is how to obtain information into the correct levels (not recommended by the ADA) for morning fasting and post meal testing.  All many providers do is refer patients to the ADA way and little else.  Then many also denounce the internet for poor quality of reliable information. 

Thus it is understandable that many patients never learn how to set goals for their blood glucose levels and end up with complications they did not know how to prevent. 

It is these studies that do more harm to patients when they say no value in testing unless you are on insulin. 

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