Raynaud's Phenomenon
| Author: Judy Kohn, RN, BSN, CDE |
| Last Updated: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 |
Q: "I am a diabetes educator and I heard that people with Raynaud’s Disease may find using an alternate site easier and more accurate. I have Raynaud's. Can you explain why alternate sites would be better for me?"
A: Let me start by explaining this condition for our readers.
Defined:
Raynaud's Phenomenon is a condition of the blood vessels that feed the skin. In this condition, the arteries contract briefly, called a vasospasm. During a vasospasm, the skin is temporarily deprived of its normal circulation (meaning that blood flow and oxygen cannot get to that part of the body) so the skin turns white and then blue. When the attack is over, the arteries relax and blood flow returns, resulting in the skin turning red. The most commonly affected areas are the hands and feet, although other areas may be affected as well.
Causes:
Although not fully known, it is suspected that some people's blood vessels overreact to cold; stress can cause narrowing of the blood vessels as well.
Raynaud's relation to Alternate Site Testing:
In Diabetes Care vol. 24, #12, 2001, a pseudohypoglycemia case is reported in which a person with diabetes and Raynaud's Phenomenon was getting consistently low readings on her glucose meter. A study was done comparing glucose results obtained from her fingertips and forearm, using the FreeStyle® meter, and these results were compared to readings obtained from her fingertips using a different meter. At the same time, a sample was drawn by the laboratory, and the results showed that the fingertip readings were consistently lower than the forearm readings, and that the forearm readings correlated closer to the laboratory reading. The conclusion was that the falsely low fingertip glucose readings obtained from this woman were due to the circulatory problems related to Raynaud's phenomenon. It was suggested that people with diabetes who have Raynaud's Phenomenon may get more reliable glucose results using alternate sites. 1
Naturally, I would recommend you print out this information and discuss it further with your physician.
1 When testing for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or if you have hypoglycemia unawareness, we recommend testing on the finger only.
Important Notice: The responses provided by the team of Diabetes Educators are based on their personal experiences and expertise as practicing diabetes healthcare professionals, and are not to be considered diabetes management advice from Abbott Laboratories. Remember that information provided by the team of Diabetes Educators is for general background purposes and is not intended as a substitute for medical diagnosis or treatment by a trained professional. You should always consult your physician about any healthcare questions you may have, especially before trying a new medication, diet, fitness program, or approach to healthcare issues.
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