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DIABETES

Blood glucose monitoring is recommended for most people with diabetes. Some use the results to adjust their insulin dosage, while others show their readings to nurses and doctors for management advice. Blood pressure telemonitoring is indicated for diabetic patients with uncontrolled hypertension. Finally, hemoglobinA1c telemonitoring is recommended to assess the overall success of treatment.

Self-reported Data Unreliable
Several studies have shown that patient diaries of blood glucose readings are fraught with error. In one study, patients were given memory monitors, but they were not told about the memory feature. A disturbing three-fourths of the patients reported lower blood glucose readings in their diaries than the readings stored in the monitors.¹ This finding has been confirmed in other studies of blood glucose and blood pressure monitoring. Most authorities recommend use of machine-reported rather than patient reported monitoring data for clinical decisions. Telemonitoring delivers machine-reported data that patients cannot edit.

Telemonitoring Replaces Some Office Visits
Patients who are first learning to manage their diabetes and those who are experiencing difficulty controlling their blood sugar usually require frequent consultations with clinicians, which means frequent office visits. Blood glucose telemonitoring enables patients to send readings to their clinicians by telephone, and to replace some of their office visits with telephone visits.

Blood Pressure Control is Critical in Diabetes
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a critical issue in diabetes. About 45% of people with diabetes have hypertension, and controlling their blood pressure dramatically reduces all of the complications of diabetes, including heart attacks, strokes, and vision and foot problems. Unfortunately, only 21% of Americans with diabetes and hypertension have their blood pressure properly controlled.²

Blood pressure telemonitoring in patients with diabetes enables clinicians to assess overall cardiovascular risk better than office blood pressure readings, and offers a simple and reliable method for evaluating the effects of therapy. Blood pressure telemonitoring also provides important feedback to patients, enhancing medication and lifestyle compliance.

Hemoglobin A1c -- The Gold Standard for Blood Glucose Control
Hemoglobin A1c, also called HbA1c or glycosylated hemoglobin, is the best indicator of the overall impact of diabetes treatment. HbA1c is a function of blood glucose levels during the past two to three months, and is not subject to the hour-to-hour fluctuation of blood glucose itself. Quarterly HbA1c tests are recommended for all insulin using diabetics. For patients with stable blood glucose readings who are using only oral hypoglycemic agents, an HbA1c test every six months is sufficient.

Telemonitoring Supports Better Outcomes in Diabetes
Studies have shown that tight control of blood glucose, blood pressure and blood lipids dramatically reduces the terrible health consequences of diabetes. LifeLink Monitoring offers blood glucose, blood pressure and HbA1c telemonitoring, helping patients and clinicians control diabetes and its common co-morbidities.

1 Mazze RS et al. Reliability of blood glucose monitoring by patients with diabetes mellitus. Am J Med 1984;77(2):211-7.
2 Nightengale B. Poor blood pressure control in patients with diabetes mellitus. Presented at American Diabetes Association Annual Meeting;2001.