Importance of Testing

Clinically proven to be beneficial
Clinical trials have shown that frequent glucose testing provides significant health benefits.

• Tight glucose control can reduce the risk of diabetes-related complications such as blindness, kidney and nerve damage by up to 76%.
• Early introduction of intensive diabetes management offers additional benefits by lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke and death from cardiovascular disease by 57%.

Testing frequency
Based on such strong clinical evidence, the American Diabetes Association recommends that if you are insulin dependent, you test your blood glucose three or more times per day to optimize glucose control. The exact frequency and timing of testing should be established by your healthcare professional and be based upon your individual needs and goals.

Test results
Testing your glucose is one of the best ways to evaluate how well you are controlling your diabetes. Testing provides you with important information that is used as a baseline to adjust medications, diet and exercise. Ideally, regular testing will help you identify patterns in your glucose levels and assist you in making decisions regarding your treatment regimen. This information should help you to achieve the glucose targets recommended by your healthcare professional.

Source: New England Journal of Medicine, American Diabetes Association (ADA), National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).