Orr-Walker (2011) suggests that blood glucose monitoring (BGM) is different from monitoring of blood pressure or lipids as it is more dynamic and an understanding of its variation can assist with achieving good glycaemic control. It is particularly useful for identifying hyper- and hypoglycaemic episodes and can help determine causes and inform management. While self-monitoring blood glucose (SMBG) is essential for people with type 1 diabetes, for type 2 it depends on treatment and the purpose of measurement.
