Hypoglycemia and Comorbidities in Type 2 Diabetes

Hypoglycemia is one of the major barriers in optimizing glycemic control. In type 2 diabetes, hypoglycemia is associated with multiple morbidities (eg, myocardial ischemia, cardiac arrhythmia, stroke, dementia, psychosocial dysfunction, obesity, microvascular complications, cancer, and diseases of respiratory, digestive, and dermatological systems). Risk factors associated with hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes include old age, long disease duration, low body mass index, high baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c), treatment with insulin and sulphonylurea, renal dysfunction, albuminuria, reduced level of low density lipoprotein cholesterol, low triglyceride and depression. There are considerable overlaps between phenotypes associated with severe hypoglycemia and all-site cancer suggesting that hypoglycemia may be a marker of vulnerability. In patients with severe hypoglycemia, comprehensive assessment is recommended to detect silent conditions, such as renal dysfunction, cancer, depression as well as review of treatment strategies including drug use to prevent morbidities and mortality.