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.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 26, 2009
Accepted:
October 22,
2009
Received in revised form:
October 16,
2009
Received:
June 1,
2009
Footnotes
☆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.
Identification
Copyright
© 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
