Although monitoring alone does not regulate diabetes, it is an important tool to understand when first learning how to manage your diabetes. Monitoring your glucose will tell you how well your meal plan, exercise and medications are balanced, allowing you to work with your health care team and Medicine Shoppe pharmacist to adjust these factors as needed for better control.

Checking your blood glucose tells you exactly what your blood glucose level is at that time. Blood glucose varies throughout the day in response to factors such as food, activity, medication and stress.

Your HbA1C measurement is a test that indicates your blood glucose levels over the last three to four months. You should make sure you have your HbA1C measured every three to six months. HbA1C provides a big picture of your overall blood glucose control. Blood glucose readings are a single snapshot of your blood glucose at that moment in time. By knowing this information, you can determine if you need to monitor your blood glucose at a different time and make any necessary changes to your treatment.

Monitoring tells you if you are reaching your blood glucose goals and whether you need to adjust your treatment plan. Reaching your goals is an effective way to prevent many diabetes complications.

You can also use monitoring information to:

• Adjust your treatment plan.
• Determine your usual pattern of blood glucose.
• Determine if you may be experiencing any short-term diabetes complications. Short-term diabetes complications include when your blood glucose is too high or when your blood glucose is too low. Click here for more information.
• Determine how certain foods, activities, medications and other factors affect your blood glucose levels.

It is important to note that three main factors must be balanced in order to control blood glucose: medication, exercise and nutrition. Click  below to learn more.

Medication and diabetes

Exercise: Steps to a healthier you

How your diet affects diabetes

Copyright 2006 Medicine Shoppe International, a Cardinal Health company. All rights reserved.

These materials were adapted from Life with Diabetes: A Series of Teaching Outlines, American Diabetes Association, 2000, Diabetes Care, Volume 27, Supplement 1, January 2004 and Diabetes Forecast, January 2006. Byetta package label., and Symlin package label.