The research made about hypoglycemia

Those with severe hypoglycemia cured using the normal therapy for blood glucose control is linked with the development of coronary artery calcium. This is the rise of the danger of a heart attack, according to the new research. There is a small study made by the Phoenix VA Health Care System in the US that aims to know if the association between severe hypoglycemia & the development of atherosclerosis do exist. Atherosclerosis, by the way, is the disease wherein the arteries of the heart become clogged up with fatty contents.  Through a sub-study of the Veterans Affairs Diabetes Tests, the glycemic control of more than 197 subjects with type 2 diabetes was checked to know if it has something to do with severe hypoglycemia & CAC as well.  Those with higher measurements of the CAC have the possibility to develop atherosclerosis, which means that they also have the possibility to suffer from stroke or heart attack.

The development of CAC was discovered in the patients through the use of a computerized tomography scanner. The scans were made before the study and during the follow-ups of the subjects. The regular follow up time is around 4-6 years.  The patients were given any standard or intensive treatment to control hypoglycemia. Those who belong to the standard group were cured using metformin 500mg, 2mg o glimepiride & 1IU of insulin/9lbs of body weight; they were also given 4mg of rosiglitazone. Their goals were to keep the HbA1c of the patient in just 64-75mmol/mol this is just 8 to 9%.

While the patients who belong to the intensive group had to make their HbA1c below 42mmol/mol which is just 6%, so they were given metformin at 500mg, but they had to take at least 2,000mg daily, they were also given 4mg of rosiglitazone, 1IU of insulin/9lbs of body weight & 8mg of glimepiride. All of the 97 subjects had 1 or more adverse hypos happening in 74% under the intensive treatment group & 21% of the standard therapy group. The researchers determine the case of severe hypoglycemia as severe episodes of losing consciousness or the need to have documented glucose by around 2.8 mmol.

Based on the results of the studies conducted

In the case of severe hypoglycemia was not associated with the development of CAC, however, there was an interaction based on the observation made between those with severe hypoglycemia & the type of treatment given to them. The patients who were treated using the standard type had a higher chance of having CAC development when compared to the patients who didn’t have a severe hypo. This association still remained after the studies made for different patients with and without severe hypoglycemia case.