Research Round Up

Research Round Up - hypoglycemia and vascular disease, and severe hypoglycemia and cognition and driving mishaps

Nicole Meinel of the Diabetic Hypoglycemia Editorial Team

Diabetic Hypoglycemia January 2011, Volume 3, Issue 3: page 12-16

This research round up covers new publications in the field of diabetic hypoglycemia including: hypoglycemia and vascular disease in type 1 and type 2 diabetes and the relations between severe hypoglycemia and cognition, and between severe
hypoglycemia and driving mishaps.

Hypoglycemia and vascular disease

In previous issues of Diabetic Hypoglycemia, we have covered topics on the possible link between hypoglycemia and acute vascular events.1 Here we report on a study by Gimenez et al suggesting that repeated episodes of hypoglycemia may promote the development of macrovascular disease in type 1 diabetes by increasing the risk of atherosclerosis. The mechanisms underlying this association remain to be elucidated. Twenty-five patients with type 1 diabetes who had experienced several episodes of severe and mild hypoglycemia (H-group) were compared with 20 age and sex-matched controls with type 1 diabetes who had very little exposure to hypoglycemia (C-group). Impaired hypoglycemia awareness was assessed by two standard questionnaires and by measuring symptomatic response during acute induction of hypoglycemia. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) was used to provide a profile of blood glucose values.