DIABETES NEWS
USE YOUR BLOOD GLUCOSE METER
TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR HEALTH BY ASHLEE ERNST AND BETSY OTTEN
This article was published by diaTribe and has been licensed for reproduction by Children’s Diabetes Foundation for NewsNotes.
While many people with diabetes use a blood glucose
meter to check our blood sugar levels, you may not be using your meter often enough to help you feel better. Ashlee Ernst and Betsy Otten, two diabetes nurse educators, share tips on how to get the most out of your glucose checks, how to read data reports, and how to find a meter that’s right for you. As diabetes nurse educators at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes at the University of Colorado – one of the largest type 1 diabetes clinics in the world – we see A LOT of blood glucose data. And as people who personally live with diabetes, we also understand how tedious it is to perform blood glucose checks. In this article we talk about ways to maximize your blood glucose testing, both in recommended frequency and in how to understand your data. There are two big reasons why blood glucose checks are important. The first is the most obvious: you do it to make sure your glucose levels are safe throughout the day and over time. The second reason is the focus of this article: analyzing patterns in your glucose levels can help you and your diabetes care team make insulin dose adjustments and figure out ways to increase time spent in a healthy glucose range (70-180 mg/dl), often referred to as Time in Range, or TIR. While you may only work with your care team at visits every three to six months, you can learn to use blood glucose data on your own to make daily habit changes and insulin dosing changes. The key is learning how to maximize the data that you get from your blood glucose meter. Betsy Otten and Ashlee Ernst
ABOUT ASHLEE AND BETSY Ashlee Ernst is a registered nurse and diabetes educator at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO. Ashlee was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of nine in Lincoln, Nebraska. From a young age she saw the impact that the diabetes community had on her life and knew that she wanted to integrate her future career into this community. Now 16 years later, she is working in the Pediatric Clinic at the Barbara Davis Center, supporting patients and families throughout their journeys with diabetes. Ashlee enjoys giving back to the community through planning and volunteering at camps for children with type 1 diabetes. Betsy Otten is a registered nurse and certified diabetes educator at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO. Betsy has lived with type 1 diabetes since 1997. After many years attending and volunteering at diabetes camp with many awesome diabetes educators, Betsy decided to become a nurse and pursue a career in diabetes education. Betsy works in the Barbara Davis Center Pediatric Clinic educating people who are newly diagnosed and their care-partners, as well as people living with diabetes during routine clinic visits. She enjoys leading projects and opportunities to improve clinical care and life for children and adolescents living with type 1 diabetes.
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