Assessing Glycemic Control With Self-monitoring of Blood Glucose and Hemoglobin A1c Measurements

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) is the gold standard for monitoring glycemic control and serves as a surrogate for diabetes-related complications. Although HbA1c measures mean glycemic exposure during the preceding 2 to 3 months, it does not provide information about day-to-day changes in glucose levels. Self-monitoring of blood glucose represents an important adjunct to HbA1c because it can distinguish among fasting, preprandial, and postprandial hyperglycemia; detect glycemic excursions; identify hypoglycemia; and provide immediate feedback to patients about the effect of food choices, activity, and medication on glycemic control.