Can hypoglycaemia lead to diabetes?

Answer 1

I want to correct the above - severely prolonged hypoglycemia can lead to diabetes, but temporary hypoglycemia isn't dangerous. For example, when you wake up in the morning, you have low blood sugar but it certainly isn't dangerous. Or a healthy person can fast for several days and have low blood sugar but not get diabetes.

Answer 2

No - hypoglycemia is absolutely not pre-diabetes, I'm guessing the above answers are confusing it with hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). People with diabetes (esp. type 1 diabetes as we are always treated using insulin) get hypoglycemia but this is because we've taken too much insulin so it's made our blood sugar low. You are asking about natural hypoglycaemia which is caused by your body producing too much insulin - really it's the opposite of diabetes where your body doesn't produce insulin at all (type 1) or your insulin doesn't work properly any more (type 2), so no it won't cause diabetes! For someone without either condition, your blood sugar would be slightly higher first thing in the morning (due to hormonal changes as you sleep) not lower, and not eating for a few hours or even days won't cause you to be hypo either, though may cause ketones to be present in the blood. I've got a lot of respect for anyone with hypoglycemia as I know how horrible hypos are! Hope that helps some of the confusion xx

Answer 3

I was diagnosed w/ hypoglycemia approx. 18 years ago. I also had gestational diabetes while pregnant with twins 20 years ago. I think I always was hypoglycemic since I could never eat sweets in the morning without getting the shakes (and extremely hungry) by mid-morning, but wasn't technically diagnosed by labwork & a physician until two years after the twin delivery. A few years ago when I saw a new dr., she said that most likely I was diabetic by now since I had gestational diabetes plus hypoglycemia later. But no, I wasn't diabetic. My former dr. said I didn't have to worry about diabetes developing from my hypoglycemia if I stayed at a normal weight for my height and I watched my diet--eating as a diabetic would: much protein, little sugar and low carbs. This has worked for me. I "graze" too, eating all day long good food and less at the three meals. You can feel great eating this way too!

Answer 4

It surprises me that a diabetic educator believes that hypoglycaemia is an indicator/symptom of diabetes.

Diabetes, for those that don't know, is a condition in which insulin is either not being produced, or the insulin that is being produced isn't able to be utilised due to insulin resistance. This results in hyperglycaemia ... high blood sugar, NOT hypoglycaemia ... low blood sugar.

I'm not saying that prolonged hypoglycaemia doesn't indicate that diabetes might develop. In fact, that might be what happened with me. I regularly used to miss meals, and overtrain for boxing tournaments, which used to result in 'self-inflicted' hypoglycaemia.

Speak to an endocrinologist if you want a definitive response to your question.

Answer 5

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A number of clinical studies have been carried out in recent years that show potential links between herbal therapies and improved blood glucose control, which has led to an increase in people with diabetes using these more 'natural' ingredients to help manage their condition.

Answer 6

Yes and no. Having low blood sugar doesn't "lead" to diabetes, but it can be a symptom OF diabetes. It can also exist in patients who are non-diabetic and never will be. Without knowing more information it is impossible to say for sure if this person's hypoglycemia is related to a diabetic or pre-diabetic condition. A consult with an endocrinologist is in order...
Best,
Ed, RN

Answer 7

Sometimes you can get non diabetic hypoglycaemia and sometimes it can lead to diabetes. A doctor will tell someone which one they have.

Answer 8

Straight no.

Diabetes is brought about in the case of type 2, by increasing resistance to insulin 2ary to high carb load and obesity.

Answer 9

Hypoglycemia is called the "pre-diabetes" so yes. Watch your diet very carefully and prevent that if you can.

Answer 10

dr atkins seems to think it is a condition that is along the road to diabetes...i have it and my doc calls me pre-diabetic