Hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetes patients treated with insulin: the advantages of continuous glucose monitoring

Abstract

Aims. To determine the incidence and risk factors for hypoglycemia in elderly insulin-treated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients by means of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Materials and Methods. We observed seventy-six hospitalized patients with T2DM, aged 65 to 79 years. Treatment with basal insulin (n=36), premixed insulin (n=12) or basal-bolus insulin regimen (n=28) was followed by metformin (n=44), glimepiride (n=14) and dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors (n=14). 2-days CGM with retrospective data analysis was performed in all patients. During CGM, three fasting and three 2-h postprandial finger-prick glucose values were obtained daily with portable glucose meter. Results. Hypoglycemia (identified as blood glucose

Keywords

• type 2 diabetes mellitus
• elderly
• hypoglycemia
• continuous glucose monitoring
• insulin