To determine the importance of color discrimination ability regarding accuracy in the self-monitoring of blood glucose.
Two hundred two insulin-dependent (type I) diabetic patients performed the Fansworth-Munsell 100-hue test and a second group of 159 type I diabetic patients performed a new Düsseldorf 26-hue test. Error scores in both tests were compared with error scores of patients' self-monitoring of blood glucose measurements with Chemstrip Haemoglucotest 20'800 strips.
Color discrimination ability decreased with age, diabetes duration, and presence of retinopathy. It was independent of the degree of glycemia and accuracy of self-monitoring of blood glucose.
Impaired color vision by itself is no reason to abandon self-monitoring of blood glucose with visually read strips.
