Sweet warning

Hypoglycemia,or low blood sugar,occurs in 90 percent of insulin-dependent diabetics. In India,there are millions of patients with hypoglycemia or low blood sugar most of them unaware of the condition.

The symptoms of hypoglycemia can be hard to trace because they most of the time they are not unique. Any number of conditions including infections and glandular secretion imbalance also show up with weakness,dizziness,trembling,and other symptoms common to hypoglycemia.

Explains Dr Anoop Misra,chief scientific advisor,Diabetes Foundation of India,”Our body can tolerate low blood sugar,or hypoglycemia,for short periods of time. But since every cell in our body is fueled by blood sugar or glucose,chronic hypoglycemia can be fatal. Without enough glucose in the system,sometimes blood sugar can fall below 60 mg/dl or even below 50 mg/dl and this can affect the brain by reducing the supply of glucose to the brain resulting in impairment function.”

Hypoglycemia can occur due to many reasons. However,the most common forms of hypoglycemia occur in patients treated with insulin and certain oral medications. Insulin shock,also known as hypoglycemia,occurs when a diabetic takes too much insulin,doesn’t eat frequently enough,or doesn’t eat sufficient amounts of sugar.

It is best cured when prevented at the first place.

The type of medication chosen can often determine the outcome and complication in the management of type-2 diabetes. As per the new guidelines issued by the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and European Association,newer GLP-1 drugs such as Byetta can be valuable if hypoglycemia is a major concern,since insulin and certain pills have a greater risk of causing hypoglycemia.

“The inclusion of GLP-1 class of drugs or Byetta to the treatment regimen can diminish risk for hypoglycemia,as they enhance insulin secretion only in the presence of high sugar,” says Dr Pradeep Talwalkar,professor of Diabetology,Raheja Hospital,Mumbai.