Hypoglycemia on the Rise

By Diane Fennell A variety of new diabetes-specific findings were recently unveiled at the 73rd Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association, which took place in Chicago from June 21–25. Included among the new research were two studies indicating that, despite (and perhaps as an unintended consequence of ) national improvements in glucose control, serious hypoglycemia (low blood glucose) is still prevalent in the United States. One-third of people with diabetes currently use insulin, and roughly 90% of those who use insulin have experienced hypoglycemia. Hospital admission rates for hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) have dropped in recent years, likely due to increasing adoption of intensive glucose control efforts. To determine the effects of intensive control on hypoglycemia-related hospital admission, Kasia Lipska, MD, MHS, and colleagues from Yale examined the health-care records of people with Medicare Fee-for-Service coverage age 65 and older. The researchers found that from 1999 to 2011, hyperglycemia-related hospitalizations fell in this population by 39.5%. But during the same period, hospital admissions for hypoglycemia rose by 22.3%. Hypoglycemia admissions were two times more common among people age 85 and older compared to those ages 65–74. Black adults were also found to be at a high risk for both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia admissions. In a separate analysis, Lt. Commander Andrew Geller, MD, of the CDC, and colleagues looked a...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs