Plasma Glucose Concentrations at the Onset of Hypoglycemic Symptoms in Patients with Poorly Controlled Diabetes and in Nondiabetics

Abstract

We tested the hypothesis that during decrements in plasma glucose concentration, symptoms of hypoglycemia may occur at higher glucose concentrations in patients with poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus than in persons without diabetes. Symptoms of hypoglycemia and counterregulatory neuroendocrine responses were quantified during hypoglycemic and euglycemic clamp studies in eight patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus selected because their hemoglobin A₁ levels were above 10 percent. These data were compared with similar observations in 10 nondiabetic subjects studied previously.