Hypoglycemia, a dangerous drop in blood glucose levels related to insulin and sulfonylurea (SU) use, has been identified as one of the top three preventable adverse drug events by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Yet the prevalence and high burden of disease in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), particularly the elderly, are often underappreciated in clinical settings. Supporting the early identification and management of those at greatest risk is critical.
The Endocrine Society has embarked on a multi-year quality improvement project, the Hypoglycemia Prevention Initiative, to design and test clinical interventions in primary care settings that will aim to decrease the number of patients at high-risk and the frequency and severity of their episodes.
Clinical Practice Guidelines
The Endocrine Society has developed the following evidence-based clinical practice guidelines to help clinicians identify patients at risk for hypoglycemic events and to improve the care of their patients with diabetes:
- Evaluation and Management of Adult Hypoglycemic Disorders
- Management of Hyperglycemia in Hospitalized Patients in Non-critical Care Setting
Government Resources
The federal government has developed information on preventing and treating hypoglycemia, including:
- Preventing Adverse Drug Events - Individualizing Glycemic Targets Using Health Literacy Strategies at Health.gov
- Leveraging Health Literacy and Patient Preferences to Reduce Hypoglycemic Events in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes from the Food and Drug Administration
- Hypoglycemia articles and videos in the Veterans Health Library
- The Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion's National Action Plan for Adverse Drug Event Prevention
- AVA/DOD Clinical Practice Guideline on Management of Diabetes Mellitus in Primary Care
- VA Hypoglycemia Safety Initiative
Endocrine News & Journals
- Noradrenergic Activity in the Human Brain: A Mechanism Supporting the Defense Against Hypoglycemia
- Girl Power!
- CMS Announces Coverage Change to Allow Use of CGM Smart Phone Applications
- FDA Approves New Continuous Glucose Monitoring System with Predictive Algorithm Technology/a>
- Low Blood Sugar Poses Unaddressed Threat to People with Type 2 Diabetes
- Mortality Among Hospitalized Patients With Hypoglycemia: Insulin Related and Noninsulin Related
- Diagnosis of ABCC8 Congenital Hyperinsulinism of Infancy in a 20-Year-Old Man Evaluated for Factitious Hypoglycemia
- More from our magazine and Journals.
According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: "Hypoglycemia, also called low blood glucose or low blood sugar, occurs when the level of glucose in your blood drops below normal. Symptoms of hypoglycemia tend to come on quickly and can vary from person to person...Sometimes people don’t feel any symptoms."
Find a diabetes education program in your area and talk with a doctor if you have symptoms of hypoglycemia, even if you only have one episode. For information on avoiding hypoglycemia, the link between diabetes & hypoglycemia, treatments, and non-diabetic hypoglycemia please visit Hormone.org. The Department of Veterans Affairs also has great information as part of the Hypoglycemia Safety Initiative.
The Endocrine Society provides continuing medical education for clinicians based on new evidence:
- Hypoglycemia in T1D: Understanding Risks and Putting Prevention Strategies into Practice
- ENDO 2018: Reducing Outpatient Hypoglycemia - An Emerging National Priority
- Hypoglycemia (Slides + Audio, MP3)
- Management of Hypoglycemia and Impaired Awareness of Hypoglycemia in Diabetes (Slides + Audio, MP3)
- Prevention and Management of Severe Hypoglycemia and Hypoglycemia Unawareness: Incorporating Sensor Technology (Slides + Audio, MP3)
- Search for more sessions on Hypoglycemia