Low Blood Sugar: A Killer For Kidney Disease Patients

Low Blood Sugar: A Killer For Kidney Disease Patients

Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, poses a serious health threat for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD), according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN).
The findings indicate that low blood sugar may account for some portion of the excess heart-related deaths seen in CKD patients.

Glucose control is the key to preventing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in CKD patients with diabetes. However, managing diabetes in CKD patients can be complicated, as patients' reduced kidney function can affect how they react to anti-diabetes medications. Difficulties with managing their diabetes can predispose CKD patients to episodes of low blood sugar, a condition that can cause severe health complications including dizziness, disorientation, slurred speech, convulsions, and death.

Hypoglycemia or low blood sugar increased patients' risk of dying in the near term. According to the authors, there was a reduced risk of near term death in individuals with CKD relative to those without and this attenuation in the risk of death might relate to an increased quality of care in these patients with CKD relative to diabetic patients without CKD.

"The association of low blood sugar with one-day mortality underscores the significance of this metabolic disturbance in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease," said Dr. Fink. While details on therapy were not included in this study, the findings are consistent with others that have shown that putting patients on intensive glucose-lowering medications can lead to an increased incidence of hypoglycemia and does not prolong their survival.
Signs of low blood sugar..
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