Structured self‐monitoring of blood glucose regimens improve glycemic control in poorly controlled Chinese patients on insulin therapy: Results from COMPASS

Background The use of self‐monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) among patients with insulin‐treated, type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in China is suboptimal. Herein we evaluated the effectiveness of structured SMBG for improving glycemic control and increasing the frequency of SMBG. Methods Insulin‐treated (>3 months) T2DM patients aged ≥18 years with HbA1c >8.0 % (64 mmol/mol) were recruited to the study. They received SMBG materials and were advised on a structured SMBG regimen for their insulin therapy. Patients were trained to self‐adjust insulin dosage according to SMBG readings and were seen by physicians at Months 3 and 6. Endpoints included changes in HbA1c, SMBG frequency, and hypoglycemia frequency. Results The study enrolled 820 patients, with mean (± SD) age 55.1 ± 9.8 years, body mass index 24.9 ± 3.6 kg/m2, HbA1c 9.7 ± 1.6 % (83 mmol/mol), and diabetes duration 9.8 ± 7.1 years, with median insulin therapy of 30.3 (3.0–274.1) months, from 19 Chinese clinics. By Month 3, 99.9 % of patients performed daily SMBG. At Months 3 and 6, HbA1c had decreased from baseline (−1.81 % and −1.73 %, respective; P