P T Sawicki1, L Karschny, V Stolpe, E Wolf, M Berger. 1. Department of Nutrition and Metabolism (World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Diabetes), Heinrich-Heine University of Düsseldorf, Germany.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine the importance of color discrimination ability regarding accuracy in the self-monitoring of blood glucose. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Two hundred two insulin-dependent (type I) diabetic patients performed the Fansworth-Munsell 100-hue test and a second group of 159 type I diabetic patients performed a new Düsseldorf 26-hue test. Error scores in both tests were compared with error scores of patients' self-monitoring of blood glucose measurements with Chemstrip Haemoglucotest 20-800 strips. RESULTS: Color discrimination ability decreased with age, diabetes duration, and presence of retinopathy. It was independent of the degree of glycemia and accuracy of self-monitoring of blood glucose. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired color vision by itself is no reason to abandon self-monitoring of blood glucose with visually read strips.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the importance of color discrimination ability regarding accuracy in the self-monitoring of blood glucose. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Two hundred two insulin-dependent (type I) diabeticpatients performed the Fansworth-Munsell 100-hue test and a second group of 159 type I diabeticpatients performed a new Düsseldorf 26-hue test. Error scores in both tests were compared with error scores of patients' self-monitoring of blood glucose measurements with Chemstrip Haemoglucotest 20-800 strips. RESULTS: Color discrimination ability decreased with age, diabetes duration, and presence of retinopathy. It was independent of the degree of glycemia and accuracy of self-monitoring of blood glucose. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired color vision by itself is no reason to abandon self-monitoring of blood glucose with visually read strips.