April 21, 2003
Hypoglycemia
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Question from New York, USA:
I don’t understand glucagon as it relates to diabetes very well. Do people with type 1 diabetes still make glucagon? If yes, why does hypoglycemia happen? If not, why does blood sugar go up even if you haven’t eaten something? Do people with other causes of hypoglycemia make glucagon? Why doesn’t it raise their blood sugar when they are low then?
Answer:
From: DTeam Staff
People with type�1 diabetes do still make glucagon, but the need for glucagon by injection is an emergency treatment for severe hypoglycemia during which the blood glucose level needs to be increased rapidly. In hypoglycaemia, the body does produce other hormones to counteract hypoglycaemia, which include glucagon, but glucagon response is also impaired.
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