All people with diabetes benefit from glucose monitoring. For example, people with type 1, type 2, gestational diabetes or other forms of diabetes who take insulin or anti-diabetic agents can judge how well these drugs are working. Monitoring provides information on how much medication is needed to counter the rise of glucose (blood sugar) after a meal. These medications may put a person at risk for low glucose (hypoglycemia). Monitoring will reveal if levels are too low.

Patients who manage diabetes with a diet and exercise plan can benefit from feedback on how well their exercise and food choices are working. During pregnancy, glucose monitoring guides the treatment adjustments necessary to keep the woman and her fetus healthy.

Glucose monitoring is an effective way to control levels of blood glucose and offers many possible benefits to diabetes patients. Potential benefits of glucose monitoring include:

• Detecting and preventing hyperglycemia (high glucose), hypoglycemia and insulin shock.
  
  
• Preventing or delaying long-term complications of diabetes, including diseases of the eyes, kidneys, nerves and blood vessels.

• Uncovering the effects of food, exercise, stress, illness, insulin and other medications and other factors on glucose levels.
  
  
• Keeping track of glucose levels over time and determining trends and patterns.
  
  
• Assisting in making day-to-day decisions for glucose management, including meal size and dosage of insulin and other medication.
  
  
• Confirming that suspicions of low or high glucose are accurate and not the result of something unrelated to diabetes.
  
  
• Alerting to emergency situations so immediate action can be taken to lower or raise levels of glucose.
  
  
• Determining the need for starting insulin therapy. 
  
  
• Identifying where changes in the diabetes management plan are needed.
  
  
• Deciding what action is needed when a person is suffering from an illness.

The potential risks associated with glucose monitoring involve use of a glucose meter. A number of factors can make meter readings inaccurate, including machine malfunctions or human error.