Blood glucose monitoring in diabetes: rationale and procedure

Diabetes mellitus is a condition that results in elevated blood glucose levels (hyperglycaemia). Continued elevation can contribute to progressive micro- and macrovascular complications leading to renal, nerve and ocular damage, representing a significant contributor to morbidity and mortality (Bilous and Donnelly, 2010). Currently there are more than 3 million adults (aged 18–99) diagnosed with the condition in the UK, representing a population prevalence of 5.9%; 1 in 17 adults has diabetes mellitus (International Diabetes Federation (IDF), 2017).

Type 1 diabetes mellitus represents approximately 10% of cases. The origin of the condition is autoimmune in nature, arising from the complete destruction of insulin-secreting beta cells within the pancreas. Type 1 diabetes results in an absolute absence of insulin and therefore blood glucose levels continue to rise because glucose cannot enter the body's cells to be metabolised and produce energy; excess glucose cannot be stored as glycogen. These individuals require insulin injections every day.