Self-monitoring of blood glucose: an important adjunct to diabetes therapy.

Therapy for diabetes mellitus, especially type I diabetes mellitus, is changing rapidly. Several developments and discoveries have contributed to this change. Most important, the data relating to the relationship between vascular disease and neuropathy and control of blood sugar and the developments in monitoring of glucose control have had a major impact on concepts of therapy. The development of new and purer insulins and new delivery systems have also improved diabetic control. The major concept that has evolved in recent years has been that the vascular disease and neuropathy of diabetes are related to control of the blood glucose and, therefore, it is important to deliver insulin in a physiologic way that duplicates the pattern of control found in nature. Techniques to better accomplish this goal are now evolving.