Factors that affect hypoglycemia frequency and severty in diabetic patients using insulin

This study was conducted in order to determine the frequency and severity of hypoglycemia and factors affecting hypoglycemia in diabetic patients. The study was conducted in Ankara Bilkent City Hospital Endocrinology and Metabolism department. The patients hospitalized in endocrinology ward or admitted to outpatient clinics were included. All patients were above 18 years of age and had diabetes who were receiving insulin treatment. Total of 1038 patients were enrolled an each individual gave informed consent to participate in the study. Data was recorded and analyzed with SPSS (IBM SPSS Statistics 24). According to our findings the patients in the study group were mostly female and relatively older. Most of the patients had low education level and social status and they were mostly living in the city suburbs. Most of the female patients in that group were housewives and most common accompanying comorbidities were hypertension and hyperlipidemia. The patients had long duration of diabetes history and had received "diabetes and insulin education" before. Despite education, they didn't make the appropriate life style changes such as diet and exercise. The mean insulin usage time was two years and premixed insulins were the most common ones that were being used. Although hypoglycemia was frequent, rate of severe attacks was low. Almost all cases had glucometer at home and were making self blood glucose monitoring. Moreover almost all patients were injecting insulin to themselves, and most common needle diameter was 8 mm. In our study the enrolled patients'mean BMI, FPG, PPG were above the target range. In the analysis made in the research, occupation, diabetes type, insulin type, retinopathy, glucose follow-up, duration of diabetes, the duration of insulin treatment were found to be significant in terms of presence of hypoglycemia; age and duration of insulin treatment were found to be significant in terms of frequency of hypoglycemia; duration of insulin treatment was significant in terms of severity of hypoglycemia. Keywords: Diabetes, hypoglycaemia, insulin, nursing