New type 2 diabetes research from UNC department of family medicine researcher Katrina Donahue, MD, MPH, and UNC 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 UNC Health Care Newsroom.)
In a landmark study, UNC School of Medicine 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 “The MONITOR Trial.” This study is the first large pragmatic study examining glucose monitoring in the United States.
UNC Department of Family Medicine’s Katrina Donahue, MD, MPH, Research Director for UNC Family Medicine, was the senior author of the study. Department of Medicine’s Laura Young, MD, PhD, from the Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, 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.
“Of course, patients and providers have to consider each unique situation as they determine whether home blood glucose monitoring is appropriate,” said Dr. Donahue in the article. “But the study’s 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.”
UNC endocrinologist Laura Young, MD, PhD, Director of the Endocrine Fellowship Program, was also quoted. “There was no difference between either type of testing,” said Dr. Young. “Enhanced Self-Monitoring Blood Glucose, in the pragmatic setting of regular daily life, offered no additional health benefits.” She added, “there 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 JAMA Internal Medicine.