The patients checks their own glycemia leves thus verifying if the treatmetnt has been set so as to meet their needs. It has been proved that the more frequently a patient measures their blood sugar, the better the diabetes is compensated.
An optimum frequency would be at seven different points each day or at least a compromise of 4 points including from time to time also a glycemia measurement taken at night.
Some patients do not keep this scheme for different reasons. Therefore, in order to come to a certain compromise, with stable patients the following scheme of glycemia measurements has proved to be adequate:
- in one day a week a 4-point measurement (3x before main meals and 1x at bedtime)
- in one day a week an 8-point measurement (the 4-point one + 3x1.5 hrs after a main meal + at 2 a.m.)
- in the remaining days at least once a day with changing the monitoring times.
If the glycemia displays varying values or tends to increase over a longer period, it is of course necessary to change the points when the measurement is taken.
This compromise in the distribution of the times when the measurement is taken can make the patient aware of a possible increasing blood sugar level and enables an ontime reaction. It, of course, also leaves space for the possibility of an uncontrolled glycemia increase and even difficulties. Therefore, it is necessary to repeat that an ideal scheme is the one mentioned above. The patient keeps a written record of the values taken at measurements and consults them with his physician at regular check-ups. A doctor is able to advice the patient on the dose adjustment only when provided with these measurement records.