Medical resource use, disturbance of daily life and burden of hypoglycemia in insulin-treated patients with diabetes: results from a European online survey

Abstract

Hypoglycemia is common in patients with diabetes, and any severe hypoglycemic event can increase the fear of future hypoglycemic events. To try to reduce hypoglycemic events, many patients with diabetes maintain their blood glucose levels with a 'safety margin' (i.e., at higher than recommended values) and maintain hyperglycemia. Following this strategy leads to raised glycated hemoglobin levels, which are, consequently, linked to an increased risk of diabetic complications and increased healthcare costs. In the present survey (n = 1848), conducted in Germany, France and the UK, approximately a third of the patients were very worried about hypoglycemia, and a similar proportion reported maintaining hyperglycemia. Overall, the mean number of emergency room visits and hospitalizations (excluding emergency room visits) per patient per 12 months was 0.65 and 0.47, respectively. In addition, 10% of the patients reported that they had taken days off work because of hypoglycemia during the previous 12 months. Furthermore, 80% of diabetics in the three countries said they would value a meter that tells them when their blood glucose level is getting high/low at a particular time of the day. Thus, the survey outlines the potential scale, in a real-world setting, of 'hidden' costs associated with hypoglycemia and fear of hypoglycemia; such costs are likely to have a major detrimental impact on the overall emotional and economic burden of diabetes, which may be reduced through broader use of blood-glucose monitors for self-monitoring of blood glucose.