
March 10, 2001
Hypoglycemia
Question from New Zealand:
I am a fourteen year old with type�1 diabetes. If I had a severe hypo in the middle of the night, and no one woke up to save me, about how long would it take before I died?
Answer:
It takes a very long time for a severe hypo to kill someone. It’s much more likely the person would wake up before it happens. Moreover, current intensified regimens lessen the risk of prolonged severe hypos because of less use of slow acting insulins.
MS
Additional comments from Lois Schmidt Finney, diabetes dietitian:
Also, since this seems to be a concern to you, I would suggest that you monitor your blood glucose levels during the night and discuss your treatment plan with your diabetes team.
LSF