Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose in the Asia-Pacific Region

Abstract

Diabetes affects 240 million people worldwide and is expected to affect some 380 million by the year 2025. Seven of the 10 countries with the highest number of people living with diabetes are in the developing world. The reason for this in the Asia-Pacific region results from a combination of large population size with rapidly rising prevalence rates of type 2 diabetes mellitus, and though much heterogeneity exists, rising prevalence rates are being seen throughout the region and appear to be closely associated with migration, urbanization, and mechanization. Prevalence rates of diabetes vary greatly and generally parallel the level of affluence and degree of industrialization of individual countries. In view of the severity of the long-term complications of diabetes, the health consequences of this epidemic will become increasingly devastating and threaten to overwhelm the health care systems in the most vulnerable countries. General awareness of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) for patients would help in control of blood glucose levels in these diverse populations. The prevailing practice of SMBG is low essentially because of lack of education and motivation, though cost is an additional limiting factor.