Frequency of the dawn phenomenon in type 2 diabetes: implications for diabetes therapy

This study was designed to assess the frequency of the dawn phenomenon in patients with type 2 diabetes. A secondary aim was to examine the influence of varying treatment regimens on the frequency of the dawn phenomenon. The dawn phenomenon was defined as a rise in plasma glucose levels of > or = 0.5 mmol/L (10 mg/dL) between 0500 and 0900 h occurring after a growth hormone surge of > or = 5 microg/L. Sixteen subjects (six men, 10 women) with type 2 diabetes were studied overnight on their current mode of therapy in the General Clinical Research Center. Additionally, six of these subjects were restudied in random order after each of the following three therapeutic regimens: (1) 6 weeks of glipizide, (2) 6 weeks of bedtime NPH insulin, and (3) 3 days of intensive insulin therapy with multiple injections of regular insulin followed by assessment during overnight intravenous infusion of insulin. Thus, a total of 34 overnight studies were performed under various treatment conditions to provide an approximate frequency of the dawn phenomenon in type 2 diabetes. Blood was drawn every 30 min between midnight and 0800 h for measurement of glucose, insulin, C-peptide, and growth hormone levels. Additional counterregulatory hormone levels were determined during 24 of the studies, and the integrity of growth hormone secretion in response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia was assessed in 12 of the 16 patients. The subjects were aged 51 +/- 15 years with a body mass index of 31 +/- 5 kg/m(2) and a mean glycosylated hemoglobin of 8.1 +/- 1.2%. The dawn phenomenon occurred in only one of 34 (3%) studies. Moreover, the four different treatment regimens did not affect the frequency of occurrence of the dawn phenomenon. Ten of the 12 patients tested failed to secrete growth hormone in response to insulin-induced hypoglycemia. These data suggest that the dawn phenomenon is unusual in type 2 diabetes. Previously reported high prevalence rates in studies using similar sample size may be attributable to a Biostator-induced artifact. Decisions regarding therapies for type 2 diabetes should not be based on the assumption that the dawn phenomenon routinely causes early morning hyperglycemia.