Severe hypoglycemia arises when an individual’s blood sugar levels drop to critically low levels. And potentially leading to unconsciousness, seizures, coma, and, in rare instances, fatality.
This severe hypoglycemic state is infrequent among individuals with diabetes, except in cases. So, where they are prescribed insulin or secretagogues—two commonly recommended classes of diabetes medications. In such instances, severe hypoglycemia typically occurs as an unintended consequence of their medication usage.
Data analysis from the United States indicated that individuals who faced food insecurity were 2.2 times more likely to encounter severe hypoglycemia. While the impact of food insecurity on health hasacknowledged, there has limited real-world, population-based research examining its influence on severe hypoglycemia rates.
In a pioneering study, Dr. Alexandria Ratzki Leewing and her team from Western University in London. And Ontario, Canada, undertook a unique analysis by examining data from the iNPHORM study conducted across the United States. This investigation marks the first of its kind in this field.
Among the study’s participants, five of them reported experiencing food insecurity, with similar rates observed in both type 1 diabetes (T1D) and type 2 diabetes (T2D) groups. Among these individuals, more than half had encountered at least one Level 3 hypoglycemic event in the past year.
To investigate the impact of food insecurity on severe hypoglycemia rates, the authors conducted multivariable regression analysis. Their findings, after accounting for potential confounding factors, revealed that individuals who had experienced food. And insecurity had just over twice as many severe hypoglycemia events during the studied year compared to those who had not exposed to food insecurity. Severe hypoglycemia arises
In the immediate term, severe hypoglycemia can result in perilous symptoms and accidents. Furthermore, it can induce impaired awareness of hypoglycemia, subsequently elevating the risk of experiencing future hypoglycemic events.
Over the long term, severe hypoglycemia has linked to nerve and heart damage, along with premature mortality. These consequences carry significant economic costs, both directly and indirectly.