title: Frequency of daytime biochemical hypoglycaemia in insulin-treated diabetic patients: relation to daily median blood glucose concentrations.
abstract: The frequency and distribution of daytime biochemical hypoglycaemia (capillary blood glucose concentration below 3 mmol/l) was assessed in type 1 diabetic patients on conventional twice daily insulin therapy (n = 79) and on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (n = 20). Patients collected and mailed to the hospital blood for seven-point blood glucose profiles. For both treatment regimens the frequency of biochemical hypoglycaemia on individual days was inversely related to the median blood glucose concentration in a curvilinear manner (p less than 0.001). Hypoglycaemia was more frequent pre-prandially than post-prandially (p less than 0.01), and was evenly distributed during the day in patients on continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion. In patients on conventional therapy, however, pre-lunch hypoglycaemia was four times more frequent than pre-breakfast or pre-dinner hypoglycaemia (p less than 0.0001).
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004435:Eating; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007332:Insulin Infusion Systems; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D007328:Insulin