Postprandial hypoglycemic syndrome

Abstract

Postprandial hypoglycemic syndrome, or reactive hypoglycemia, — vegetative symptoms, such as weakness, fatigue, hunger, nausea, palpitations, anxiety, tremor, sweating occurring one to two hours after ingestion. The syndrome is poorly described in literature and most of the information is disparate. Laboratory criteria for the diagnosis of postprandial reactive hypoglycemia are quite controversial, but most authors tend to consider that it is a blood glucose level, which is below 3.9 mmol/l for two hours after meal. Hypoglycemia is an unbalance between glucose influx to the circulation (from endogenous glucose production or exogenous glucose delivery) and glucose efflux. The balance between glucose intake and consumption is controlled by a complex balance of glycoregulatory hormones. Insulin, glucagon and adrenaline are effective for several minutes, but cortisol and growth hormone — for seve-ral hours. This explains the presence of immediate and delayed various effects: adrenergic, neuroglycopenic ones and gastroin-testinal discomfort. Postprandial syndrome mechanisms are similar to post-gastric bypass patients with morbid obesity. The most likely cause of reactive hypoglycemia is post-prandial hypersecretion of insulin under the influence of glucose and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is a component of the enteroendocrine system and acts at the cephalic phase of satiety. Both post-gastric bypass and relatively healthy individuals have symptoms after the meal rich of simple carbohydrates. Symptoms could be effectively reduced by low glycemic index diet rich of dietary fibers. When the effect is insufficient, it is recommended to use acarbose as an α-glucosidase inhibitor, which is the main stimulation of GLP-1 secretion. Thus, obesity epidemics based on the inadequate nutritional habits in the children makes the postprandial syndrome feasible, and it requires further studies. At the same time, healthy diet can significantly improve the quality of life of children with postprandial discomfort.

Keywords

• postprandial syndrome
• reactive hypoglycemia
• GLP-1
• review