Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 2, 2026

Hyperglycemic Clamp and Hypoglycemic Clamp in Conscious Mice
Published on: January 26, 2024
Modest contribution of psychosocial variables to hypoglycaemic awareness in Type 1 diabetes
Sandra Broers1, Katja P Van Vliet, Walter Everaerd
1Section Medical Psychology, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), Leiden, The Netherlands. s.broers@amc.uva.nl
Objective:
To assess relationships between hypoglycaemic awareness and diabetes-related, psychosocial and demographic characteristics.
Method:
Ninety-eight type 1 diabetic patients completed questionnaires on somatic awareness (Somatic Awareness Questionnaire, SAQ), negative affectivity (Positive And Negative Affectivity Schedule, PANAS), symptom beliefs, bustle and variety of daily life. They then performed up to 70 measurements on a hand-held computer, during 4 to 6 weeks, at home. During every measurement, they rated the presence of 20 symptoms on a 0-6 scale, and estimated and measured their blood glucose level. The percentage of recognised hypoglycaemic episodes was calculated from these data, and used as a measure of hypoglycaemic awareness.
Results:
Hypoglycaemic awareness was negatively associated with disease duration and antecedent hypoglycaemia, and positively associated with the use of an insulin pump instead of injections, variety in the daily life, somatic awareness, sensitivity of the symptom beliefs and female gender. However, only 17% of the variance in hypoglycaemic awareness was explained.
Conclusions:
Psychosocial variables contribute to hypoglycaemic awareness, to a moderate but statistically significant extent.
Related Concept Videos
Hypoglycemia
Type I Diabetes III: Clinical Manifestations
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational
Type II Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon