When you monitor your blood glucose with a meter, you measure your blood glucose at the moment you perform the test. This number gives you important feedback for making immediate and day to day adjustments in your diabetes management. The hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C) test shows you your average blood glucose over the last 60 to 90 days. Both blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C testing are necessary with insulin pump therapy.
With insulin pump therapy, it is necessary to monitor your blood glucose 4 to 6 times a day. Blood glucose testing gives you accurate feedback and allows you to make immediate adjustments based on the results. It allows you to adjust your insulin to carbohydrate ratio for particular foods. It alerts you to high blood glucose readings that need correcting. And, since the pump uses only fast-acting insulin and you have no long-acting insulin as a back-up, blood glucose testing is necessary to alert you to high blood glucose and potential diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).
Hemoglobin A1C testing is also important with insulin pump therapy. Elevated and sustained levels of blood glucose can cause serious long-term complications. These complications may be prevented and/or delayed if you maintain your blood glucose levels close to normal. The best indicator of your overall blood glucose is the hemoglobin A1C test. It has been proven that an HbA1C level of 7.2 or less greatly reduces the risk of complications from diabetes. However, any reduction in hemoglobin A1C is a benefit. Your hemoglobin A1C should be tested at least every 3 months by your healthcare provider.
Your healthcare provider will rely on the results of your blood glucose tests to make adjustments in your pump settings and the results of your hemoglobin A1C tests to evaluate your overall blood glucose control. These will be the indicators of your efforts toward diabetes management through insulin pump therapy.
