Frequency of Hypoglycemia in Type 2 Diabetic Patients in Sample of Egyptian People in Clinic Based Study

Abstract

Background: Hypoglycemia is a serious medical emergency that must be recognised and treated as soon as possible to avoid organ and brain damage. Hypoglycemia is not a sickness in and of itself; it is a symptom of a more serious health problem, the significance of which is determined by its impact on brain function. There is always a risk of a proportional increase in the incidence of hypoglycemia with a growing incidence of diabetes and various modalities of intense blood glucose management. Objective: We measured the frequency of hypoglycemic attacks in type 2 diabetic patients (T2DM) in clinic-based study and correlate the attacks of hypoglycemia with treatment regimens and duration of the diabetes mellitus (DM). Patients and Methods: Copies of pre-tested questionnaire were administered directly to 1000 patients with T2DM at the study site. This questionnaire was previously published as a part of the Workgroup of the American Diabetes Association and The Endocrine Society (ADA) on 2013. After translating it into public traditional Egyptian Arabic language. Results: Our main finding was that for people with T2DM the incidence of hypoglycemia was 36% (360 out of 1000 patients). 26.39% (95 out of 360 patients) were on oral hypoglycemic drugs compared to 71.94% (259 from 360 patients) on insulin. Hypoglycemia was 48.42% (46 out of 95 patients) in diabetic patients having diabetes for more than five years and on oral hypoglycemic drugs, compared to 76.83% (199 out of 259 patients) in diabetic patients on insulin. Conclusion: Hypoglycemia is common in T2DM (36%). It is a significant complication of diabetes therapy and although mild hypoglycemia causes unpleasant symptoms and disrupts patients' daily activities, severe hypoglycemia can result in coma, seizures, and death.