Management of Outpatients With Diabetes at High Risk of Hypoglycemia

More than 30 million people in the US have diabetes, approximately 5% with type 1 and approximately 95% with type 2. About 5 million individuals in the US with type 2 diabetes use insulin and 7 million take sulfonylureas; both of these medications have a greater association with hypoglycemia than metformin, glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors, or sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors. Each month, 70% of people with type 1 diabetes experience some degree of hypoglycemia.1 Level 1 hypoglycemia is defined as blood glucose of 54 to 70 mg/dL; level 2 is less than 54 mg/dL; and severe hypoglycemia (level 3) occurs when low blood glucose levels cause neurologic or physical symptoms that require help from others. Furthermore, recurrent severe hypoglycemia increases risk of future dementia.2 Hypoglycemia occurs more often in people with lower education, lower income, and food insecurity.3 This synopsis focuses on outpatient management of diabetes with high risk of hypoglycemia; the guideline also addresses prevention of hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients.4

Author/s:

Celeste C Thomas, Karishma Chopra, Andrew M Davis