People with diabetes and self-reported severe hypoglycaemia have increased mortality risk over 5 years
- University of Tennessee, Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Correspondence to: Dr Samuel Dagogo-Jack
University of Tennessee, 920 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38163, USA; sdj{at}uthsc.edu
Commentary on:
Implications for practice and research
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This retrospective survey of ambulatory patients with diabetes indicates that self-reported severe hypoglycaemia is associated with increased risk of 5-year mortality.
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Although the mechanisms are unclear, evaluation of patients with diabetes should include documentation of hypoglycaemia history and management approaches should focus on patient education and scrupulous avoidance of iatrogenic hypoglycaemia.
Context
Hypoglycaemia (<70 mg/dl; 3.9 mmol/l) in people with diabetes is frequently due to exposure to insulin or insulin secretagogues. The acute effects of hypoglycaemia in symptomatic patients, and the disabling effect of severe hypoglycaemia, are well known. However, data on the frequency of hypoglycaemia and magnitude of hypoglycaemia-related mortality are less …
