As reported in the EurekAlert, studies in the past have indicated a connection between control of blood sugar and the rise of death rate. These studies have also pointed out that the result of this strict control is low blood sugar (called hypoglycemia), which may have a potentially life-threatening effects. Severe hypoglycemia is a potential risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
The researchers discovered in their experimental model of hypoglycemia that there was a reasonable change in the body's reactions to cardiovascular stress. They made an examination on the impacts of hypoglycemia on the system that influences the heart's function - the cardiovascular autonomic control, as stated on the new study released by the journal Diabetes.
"These findings suggest a specific way as to how the cardiovascular system is compromised during episodes of hypoglycemia," says Ajay D. Rao, MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, and first author of the paper.
Hypoglycemia happens when blood sugar (glucose) drop-off below normal. Low blood sugar occurs most often to people with diabetes who inject high insulin levels periodically to lower their blood sugar. It is a well-recognized side effect of glucose-lowering therapies in patients with diabetes mellitus. Skipping meals, taking excessive medication, eating less than normal or exercising more than usual can likewise lead to low blood sugar.
For this study, seventeen healthy volunteers were exposed to experimental hypoglycemia for two hours. These subjects dealt with specialized testing of the cardiovascular system before and at the end of the experimental hypoglycemia period. Dr. Rao and his co-researchers were able to demonstrate that there was a reasonable derangement in the body's response to changes in blood pressure and heart rate during hypoglycemia.
You can read more about the findings published in Diabetes at https://dx.doi.org/10.2337/db15-0871.
