Self-care interventions in type 2 diabetes

The aim off this thesis was to study the effectiveness of some of the self-care interventions in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The self-care interventions that were studied were chromium and cinnamon supplements, a device
that aims to lower blood pressure (device guided breathing exercise), and self-measurement of blood glucose (SMBG) in T2DM patients not using insulin. Various current guidelines for the treatment of T2DM advice different self-care interventions (if applicable): cluit quit smoking, maxiimize alcohol consumption. increase physical exercise, reduce weight, restrict sodium and improve food composition (in short: improve lifestyle). In addition to these well-established 'active' interventions, patients do have a plethora of other choices, like 'passive' self-care interventions, to improve their condition in many ways. As it is at this moment, evidence is lacking for many of these self-care interventions, of which some of the most popular are subject of this thesis. The different chapters will be summarized below.