September 18, 2003
Daily Care
Question from Lacombe, Alberta, Canada:
I’ve heard many times how heat can affect blood sugars, but I’ve been unable to come up with an article or research paper supporting this (Example: a child on insulin out in very hot weather or in a hot tub). Do you have any information on this?
Answer:
Like you, I have found very little information on this theme. Certainly in the clinic (with summer temperatures up to 100o F), there is very little disturbance of control. However, this view needs to be modified by that fact that heat exposure is seldom prolonged and fluids are accessible. The one report I could find showed that glucose tolerance deteriorated in places like subsaharan Africa. Hot tubs may present a different problem in that the attendant vasodilation, if longer than a few minutes, may increase the rate of insulin absorption and thus lead to hypoglycemia.
DOB