title: Hypoglycemia is associated with increased worry and lower quality of life among patients with type 2 diabetes treated with oral antihyperglycemic agents in the Asia-Pacific region.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined the relationship of hypoglycemic symptoms with health-related quality of life and worry about hypoglycemia among type 2 diabetic patients using oral antihyperglycemic agents (AHA) in the Asia-Pacific region.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 2257 type 2 diabetic patients with at least 6 months of oral AHA were enrolled in China, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Taiwan. Quality of life was measured with the EuroQol Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) and EuroQol-5 Dimensions questionnaire (EQ-5D), and worry about hypoglycemia with the worry subscale of the Hypoglycemic Fear Survey-II (HFS).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean (SD) age was 58.7 (10.2) years and HbA(1c) was 7.5% (1.5). The proportion of patients with an HbA(1c) <6.5% and <7% was 24.9% and 41.8%, respectively. Hypoglycemic symptoms in the prior 6 months were reported by 35.8% of patients. Mean scores on the EQ-VAS and the EQ-5D were significantly lower for patients who had hypoglycemic symptoms compared to those who did not (73.6 vs. 76.9, p<0.001; 0.88 vs. 0.90, p<0.0001, respectively), whereas mean score on the HFS was significantly higher (12.5 vs. 6.3, p<0.001). In multivariate models, hypoglycemic symptoms were independently associated with scores on the EQ-5D, EQ-VAS, and HFS (all p ≤ 0.01-0.001). Symptom severity was positively associated with fear of hypoglycemia (all p ≤ 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hypoglycemic symptoms were associated with reduced quality of life and increased patient worry in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with AHA.
authors.affiliation: Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wayne H-H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Sheu
authors.forename: Li-Nong
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: Wannee
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Nitiyanant
authors.forename: Sei Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Baik
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mavros
authors.forename: Siew-Pheng
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Chan
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000368:Aged; D001007:Anxiety / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D002681:China; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000523:psychology*; D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007723:Korea; D008296:Malaysia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan; D013785:Thailand
chemical_list: D007004:Hypoglycemic Agents