Idiopathic Postprandial Syndrome

Abstract

Reactive or postprandial hypoglycemia is a nonspecific term referring to hypoglycemia (glucose <55 mg/dL) that occurs up to 4 hours after a meal (Brun et al. Diabetes Metab 26:337-351). This terminology is purely a description of the timing of a hypoglycemic event; an evaluation for a possible etiology should subsequently be pursued. Patients with hypoglycemic symptoms but without chemical hypoglycemia are often erroneously characterized as having reactive or postprandial hypoglycemia. Idiopathic postprandial syndrome refers to hypoglycemic symptoms that occur without chemical evidence of hypoglycemia. Once other etiologies for hypoglycemic symptoms are excluded, it is then appropriate to identify hypoglycemic symptoms without chemical hypoglycemia as idiopathic postprandial syndrome.