Correlation between parameters of self-monitoring of blood glucose and the perception of health-related quality of life in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate how different parameters of short-term glycemic control would correlate with the perception of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 50 T1D patients aged 18 to 50 years were evaluated with the questionnaires Problem Areas in Diabetes (PAID) scale and Diabetes Quality of Life (DQOL) measure after 30 days of self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG). Glycemic control was evaluated using glycated hemoglobin (HbA(1c)), mean glucose levels (MGL) in the prior month’s data from SMBG (Accu-Check 360(o)), number of hypoglycemic episodes (< 70 mg/dL and < 50 mg/dL), and glycemic variability (GV). RESULTS: PAID correlated positively with MGL (r = 0.52; p < 0.001) and HbA(1c) (r = 0.36; p < 0.0097), but not with GV (r = 0.17; p = 0.23) or number of hypoglycemic episodes (r = 0.15; p = 0.17 for glucose < 70 mg/dL and r = 0.02; p = 0.85 for glucose < 50 mg/dL). After multiple linear regression, only MGL remained independently related to PAID scores. DQOL scores had a positive correlation with MGL (r = 0.45; p = 0.001), but not with HbA(1c) (r = 0.23; p = 0.09), GV (r = 0.20; p = 0.16), or number of hypoglycemic episodes (r = 0.06 p = 0.68). CONCLUSION: In T1D patients, MGL, but not HbA(1c) or number hypoglycemic episodes, was the glycemic control parameter that best correlated with short-term perception of HRQoL.