Assessing glycemic control with self-monitoring of blood glucose and hemoglobin A(1c) measurements.

Hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) is the gold standard for monitoring glycemic control and serves as a surrogate for diabetes-related complications. Although HbA(1c) measures mean glycemic exposure during the preceding 2 to 3 months, it does not provide iInformation about day-to-day changes in glucose levels. Self-monitoring of blood glucose represents an important adjunct to HbA(1c) 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.