Prevalence of impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia and frequency of hypoglycaemia in insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes☆☆☆
Received 1 June 2009; received in revised form 16 October 2009; accepted 22 October 2009. published online 26 November 2009.
Abstract
Aims
The present study sought to ascertain the prevalence of impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia (IAH) in people with insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and its effect on risk of hypoglycaemia.
Methods
Data were obtained from 122 people with insulin-treated T2DM (63 male; mean (SD) HbA1c 8.4% (1.5); median (inter quartile range, IQR) age, 67 (58–72) years; duration of T2DM 15 (10–20) years; duration of insulin therapy, 6 (4–9) years). A questionnaire was used to evaluate hypoglycaemia awareness status and estimate the frequency of severe hypoglycaemia (SH) in the preceding year. Capillary blood glucose was monitored prospectively over a 4-week period to document biochemical hypoglycaemia.
Results
The prevalence of IAH was 9.8%. In the subgroup with IAH the incidence of SH in the preceding year was 17-fold higher than those with normal hypoglycaemia awareness (0.83 (1.12) vs. 0.05 (0.28) episodes per patient; p<0.001 (n=122)) and had a five-fold higher incidence of biochemical hypoglycaemia (2.43 (4.39) vs. 0.46 (1.21) episodes; p<0.001 (n=63)).
Conclusion
The prevalence of IAH in insulin-treated T2DM was associated with higher frequencies of SH and biochemical hypoglycaemia. Therefore the presence of IAH in those with insulin-treated T2DM should be evaluated at clinical review.
☆ The present study was presented as a poster at the annual conference of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in Rome in 2008. Schopman JE, Geddes J, Frier BM. Prevalence of impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia in insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes and its effect on hypoglycaemia frequency. Diabetologia 2008;51(Suppl. 1):S274 [abstract].
☆☆Research grants: Josefine Schopman was supported by a research grant from the Dutch Diabetes Foundation and Jacqueline Geddes by a research grant (CZB/4/423) from the Chief Scientist Office of the Department of Health of the Scottish Executive.
ABSTRACT