Screening for Addison's disease in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and recurrent hypoglycaemia.
BACKGROUND
Addison's disease may present with recurrent hypoglycaemia in subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus. There are no data, however, on the prevalence of Addison's disease presenting with recurrent hypoglycaemia in patients with diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
Three year retrospective study of diabetic patients with "unexplained" recurrent hypoglycaemia investigated with a short Synacthen test to exclude adrenocortical insufficiency.


RESULTS
95 patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus were studied. Addison's disease was identified as the cause of recurrent hypoglycaemia in one patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus.


CONCLUSIONS
Addison's disease is a relatively rare but remedial cause of recurrent hypoglycaemia in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus. A low threshold for investigating patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus and recurrent hypoglycaemia to detect Addison's disease is therefore suggested.
Likhari
Taruna
T
Department of Clinical Chemistry, New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, UK.
Magzoub
Saeed
S
Griffiths
Melanie J
MJ
Buch
Harit N
HN
Gama
R
R
D000224:Addison Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D000328:Adult; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies