How often should I test my blood glucose?

If you are Type 2 diabetic, Ideally, you should test your blood glucose first thing in the morning and then about two hours after each meal. For many patients, this becomes cumbersome. Pricking your fingers several times a day is no fun. I tell my patients to rotate the timing of testing each day. For example, one day check it in the morning, the next day check it two hours after lunch and the third day, do it two hours after dinner.

The two hours post- meal blood glucose value is particularly important for the following reasons: 

• It has been shown to be closely linked to the risk for heart attack in several excellent medical studies.
• It shows the impact of your food on your blood glucose. The two hours post-meal blood glucose value should be less than 140 mg/dl, preferably less than 120 mg/dl. A value more than 140 mg/dl indicates that you either ate too much or you ate the wrong food or a combination of these two factors. You should write down what you ate. Soon you will know what to eat and what to avoid. Share this diary with your doctor on each visit.

Excerpt from "Take Charge of Your Diabetes."

This article was written by Sarfraz Zaidi, MD, FACE. Dr. Zaidi specializes in Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism.

Dr. Zaidi is a former assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at UCLA and Director of the Jamila Diabetes and Endocrine Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, California.

 

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