Hypoglycemia
They don't get the signs. They just can be having a normal conversation, go from feeling fine to passing out - Dana Hardin MD
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image by: Diabetes.co.uk
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Dogs can smell low blood sugar in people with diabetes
Researchers at the University of Cambridge have discovered one more reason why dogs are great: their superior sense of smell is inspiring advancements in the medical field. In a study published today in Diabetes Care, the researchers determined that during a hypoglycemic attack in people with Type I diabetes, the amount of the naturally occurring chemical isoprene in a person's breath increases. And dogs can smell this chemical.
Resources
My Vice is Hypoglycemia
Type 1 diabetes is physically taxing and its maintenance exhausting, but I've learned to live with my self-afflicting body.
10 Ways to Treat Low Blood Sugar with Real Food
The most commonly recommended treatment for low blood sugar is glucose tablets or glucose gel. And let me tell you, those glucose tablets aren’t the tastiest things in the world. Think chalky, super sweet, and fake fruit flavor all rolled into one… sounds appetizing, I know. So, while these treatments are highly effective, they’re not exactly what this dietitian would call “nutritious.”
Fat Tuesday: Hypoglycemia Is Tied To Low Income In Diabetics
I disagree with this study's conclusion. Its not that I dont believe that low-income is tied to diabetes and hypoglycemia at the end of the pay cycle.
Preventing or Managing Hypoglycemia in Diabetes Care
The most common reasons why people get hypoglycemia with diabetes are related to giving insulin without eating food properly; giving insulin and not making adjustments for exercise; or giving insulin that has not been adjusted properly because they’re not monitoring, or they’re doing the monitoring and nothing has been done with the blood sugars. Insulin therapy has to be continually adjusted for people with diabetes.
Service Dogs Pick Up Scent of Diabetes Danger
Diabetic, or hypoglycemic, "alert dogs" are a growing class of service dogs best known for guiding the visually impaired, sniffing out drugs and bombs, or providing mobility assistance for people with severe disabilities.
Can Diabetes Alert Dogs Help Sniff Out Low Blood Sugar?
For people with diabetes who take insulin, the risk of losing consciousness from low blood sugar is a constant fear. Devices called continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) can alert wearers to dropping levels, but not everyone has access to them. And even among those who do, some prefer a furrier and friendlier alert option: a service dog with special training to alert owners when their blood sugar reaches dangerously low levels.
Diabetes and the gadget that could end the ‘hypo’
For thousands of people in the UK with type 1 diabetes, controlling their blood sugar levels is a daily struggle. Now a new monitor offers them hope.
Diabetes' Unspoken Threat, Hypoglycemia
The survey results indicate that we're failing people with diabetes not teaching them about hypoglycemia, and I see it as a shameful omission by healthcare providers.
Hypoglycemia From a Cardiologist's Perspective
Hypoglycemia in people with diabetes mellitus (DM) has been potentially linked to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Pathophysiologically, hypoglycemia triggers activation of the sympathoadrenal system, leading to an increase in counter‐regulatory hormones and, consequently, increased myocardial workload and oxygen demand.
Hypoglycemia Rising in Older People With Diabetes
Older adults with diabetes are more likely than younger people to have bouts of low blood sugar because of altered kidney function, other medical conditions, other medications that interact with their diabetes drugs and a reduced ability to sense the warning signs of hypoglycemia: shakiness, sweatiness, dizziness, weakness, a feeling of intense hunger and blurred vision, among others.
Hypoglycemia – What Is It And How Can I Treat It?
In the spirit of education and raising awareness, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about hypoglycemia. How to spot it, how to treat it, and steps to take to avoid the hypo-monster.
Living With Hypoglycemia: An Exploration of Patients’ Emotions: Qualitative Findings From the InHypo-DM Study, Canada
Hypoglycemia is one of the most common adverse events for people living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. To gain a deeper understanding of patients’ emotions regarding hypoglycemia, we conducted a descriptive qualitative study.
Study Finds Risk of Dementia Increases After Hypoglycemia
People with Type 2 diabetes may be at increased risk for developing dementia as they age, several studies have suggested. Now researchers say the higher odds may be linked to life-threatening drops in blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, usually caused by excess insulin.
The economic and quality of life impact of hypoglycemia
Hypoglycemia is an often underrecognized side effect of type 2 diabetes therapy. This study assessed the burden of hypoglycemia in this population in Sweden and included 309 patients aged 35 years or older and treated with insulin and/or oral antidiabetic agents.
The Hope And Hype Of Diabetic Alert Dogs
If you research diabetic alert dogs, you'll find a lot of hope for their role in managing Type 1 diabetes. And you'll find a fair amount of hype.
The science of hypoglycemia in patients with diabetes
The risk of hypoglycemia with anti-hyperglycemic agents is an important limiting factor in the management of type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 (T2DM) diabetes mellitus.
“I think she’s drunk.” I wasn’t, I was in severe hypoglycemia
It was 10 PM and I was weaving on the boardwalk. “Are you okay? Are you okay,” my acquaintance Susan asked several times. I couldn’t respond. My brain wasn’t working. Like a firefly it was flitting on, off, on, off, refusing to hold its light.
Dogs can smell low blood sugar in people with diabetes
Now that scientists are a little more clear why dogs can recognize low blood sugar in humans, they're hoping the discovery can open up the possibility for new detection tools for diabetics. A breathalyzer or something similar that monitors isoprene levels could hypothetically mimic the function of a dog's nose. Of course, it wouldn't be nearly as cute.
Diabetes.org
The people you are in frequent contact with (for example, family members, significant others, and coworkers) should also be instructed on how to administer glucagon to treat severe hypoglycemic events
Endocrine Society
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.
National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
Helping to increase knowledge and understanding about diabetes among patients, health care professionals, and the general public.
Hypo Resolve Project
As much about hypoglycaemia remains unknown, the recently started European research project Hypo-RESOLVE (Hypoglycaemia – Redefining SOLutions for better liVEs) aims to provide researchers and clinicians with more validated data about the condition

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