Washington, Oct 2 : Diabetics who self-monitor their blood glucose (SMBG) levels can modify their behaviour, adjust their medicine, and understand their disease to better manage it, says a recent study.

The study focussed at "paired testing", a self-monitored testing both before and after specific events, to evaluate whether it could assist patients in making better health and food choice decisions over time.

In the study, healthcare professionals from various medical specialties collaborated to review current research regarding the value and utility of SMBG and formulate professional opinions regarding its use.

With the study, the researchers want to encourage patients'' active involvement in the control of their own disease, instead of just blindly following the edicts of their healthcare providers.

They found that paired testing could be helpful to provide immediate feedback regarding the impact of specific eating and exercise actions.

Self-monitoring can also help patients to assess critical nuances of the disease to help the patient make the very best choices.

This could help in targeting specific meals to identify the impact of food choices on blood glucose levels and detecting differences between weekend and weekday schedules and habits.

With paired testing patients could learn what does and what does not work in the daily management of diabetes, and thus facilitate positive and healthy patient self-care behaviours.

"Although the utility of SMBG in non-insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes remains controversial. A recent report from the International Diabetes Federation recommends SMBG use in this population if it is used to educate/motivate individuals and/or monitor and adjust therapy. Healthcare providers must develop strategies to utilize SMBG in ways that address these criteria," wrote the authors in the article.

The study has been published in The Diabetes Educator. (ANI)