Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 23, 2026

Osmotic Minipump Implantation for Increasing Glucose Concentration in Mouse Cerebrospinal Fluid
Published on: April 7, 2023
Morbidity of hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes
1Department of Diabetes, Royal Infirmary, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SA, Scotland, UK. brian.frier@luht.scot.nhs.uk
Abstract:
Hypoglycemia is a common side effect of intensive insulin therapy in patients with type 1 diabetes. Mild hypoglycemia is any episode that can be self-treated, while a severe episode requires external help for recovery. Acute hypoglycemia produces autonomic and neuroglycopenic symptoms, including cognitive impairment and mood changes, while sympathoadrenal stimulation can provoke acute hemodynamic changes with alterations in regional vascular perfusion and a risk of cardiac dysrhythmias. Neurological manifestations include coma, convulsions and focal abnormalities. Long-term morbidities associated with hypoglycemia include impaired awareness of hypoglycemia, counterregulatory hormonal deficiencies, hypoglycemia-associated autonomic failure, and, in rare cases, permanent cognitive impairment. Hypoglycemia affects all aspects of life for the person with type 1 diabetes, including employment, social interactions, driving, sport and leisure activities, and sleep. Appreciation of the potential morbidities of hypoglycemia should encourage physicians to utilize therapeutic regimens that decrease the risk of severe hypoglycemia.
Related Concept Videos
Hypoglycemia
Type I Diabetes III: Clinical Manifestations
Hyperglycemia
Complications of Diabetes Mellitus
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...
Type I Diabetes II: Pathophysiology
