The comprehensive prevention and treatment of diabetes includes five aspects: diabetes education, diet control, physical exercise, medication and blood glucose monitoring, and now we would like to popularize the knowledge of blood glucose monitoring for you.
First of all, we should clarify the necessity of blood glucose monitoring: to provide a basis for the adjustment of treatment plan, to guarantee good control of diabetes, and to strengthen the understanding of diabetes knowledge. Especially after using insulin, it is necessary to insist on blood glucose monitoring, so as to help guide the insulin dosage according to the blood glucose level in time, to guarantee the safe achievement of blood glucose standard, and to keep away from the danger of complications.
Secondly, we need to clarify several time points of blood glucose monitoring and the corresponding significance.
Fasting blood glucose: It is the blood glucose after 8 hours of fasting and is usually monitored before breakfast. It can reflect the blood glucose level of the basic state of human body.
Pre-meal blood glucose: the blood glucose before eating. It is convenient to adjust the amount of food and the amount of insulin injected before meal.
2 hours post-meal blood glucose: i.e. blood glucose 2 hours from the first bite, reflecting the blood glucose level of the body under sugar load.
Bedtime blood glucose: It is helpful to prevent hypoglycemia at night.
Nocturnal blood glucose: It is monitored around 3:00 a.m., which is helpful to determine the cause of fasting hyperglycemia in the morning.
Pre- and post-exercise blood glucose: It is the basis for formulating a suitable exercise mode and time for yourself.
When hypoglycemia is suspected: to detect hypoglycemia in time and reduce the harm of hypoglycemia.
Finally, we learn to determine the frequency of blood glucose monitoring according to our own situation and pay attention to the specific time of blood glucose monitoring, so as to monitor blood glucose scientifically and effectively and reduce the cost of blood glucose monitoring. For the convenience of visualization, the following table is made for your reference.
Table 1: Frequency of blood glucose monitoring under different conditions
Self-circumstances
Frequency of blood glucose monitoring
Poor blood glucose control
Monitoring 4-7 times a day
Critical condition (combined with acute complications such as ketoacidosis, severe hypoglycemia and infection)
Monitor 4-7 times a day
Stable condition or achieved blood glucose control target
Monitor 1-2 days a week
Start insulin therapy
At least 5 times a day (fasting, 2 hours after 3 meals, before bedtime)
After reaching the blood glucose standard with insulin
2-4 times a day (fasting and after breakfast or fasting and after three meals)
After reaching the blood glucose standard with oral medication or lifestyle intervention
2-4 times a day (fasting and after breakfast or fasting and after three meals)
Table 2: Time-specific blood glucose monitoring
Time of blood glucose monitoring
When blood glucose level is high
Pre-meal glucose monitoring
At risk of hypoglycemia (elderly people, people with good blood glucose control)
Pre-meal glucose monitoring
When fasting blood glucose is well controlled but still does not reach the standard after meal
2 hours post-meal blood glucose monitoring
Patients injecting insulin
Bedtime blood glucose monitoring
Insulin treatment is close to the standard, but fasting blood glucose is still high
Nocturnal blood glucose monitoring
When hypoglycemia occurs
Timely blood glucose measurement
Before and after exercise
Timely blood glucose measurement