title: Understanding hypoglycemia in hospitalized patients.
abstract: Controlling blood glucose in hospitalized patients is important as both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia are associated with increased cost, length of stay, morbidity and mortality. A limiting factor in stringent control is the concern of iatrogenic hypoglycemia. The association of hypoglycemia with mortality has led to clinical guideline changes recommending more conservative glycemic control than had previously been suggested, with the use of patient specific approaches when appropriate. Healthier, stable patients may be managed with stricter control while the elderly and severely ill may be managed less aggressively. While the avoidance of hypoglycemia is essential in clinical practice, recent studies suggest that a higher mortality rate occurs in spontaneous rather than iatrogenic hypoglycemia. Therefore, inpatient hypoglycemia may be viewed more as a biomarker of disease rather than a true cause of fatality.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Jacobi Medical Center, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Raphael D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Hulkower
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Clinical Diabetes Center, Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Clinical Diabetes Center, 1825 Eastchester Road, Bronx, NY 10461 USA.
authors.forename: Rena M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Pollack
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine & Clinical Diabetes Center, Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Montefiore Medical Center, the University Hospital for Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Clinical Diabetes Center, 1825 Eastchester Road, Bronx, NY 10461 USA.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zonszein