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Review
. 2021 May 15;12(5):569-577.
doi: 10.4239/wjd.v12.i5.569.

Fear of hypoglycemia, a game changer during physical activity in type 1 diabetes mellitus patients

Maja Cigrovski Berkovic  1 , Ines Bilic-Curcic  2 , Lavinia La Grasta Sabolic  3 , Anna Mrzljak  4 , Vjekoslav Cigrovski  5
Affiliations
Review

Fear of hypoglycemia, a game changer during physical activity in type 1 diabetes mellitus patients

Maja Cigrovski Berkovic et al. World J Diabetes. .

Abstract

Hypoglycemia limits optimal glycemic management of patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Fear of hypoglycemia (FoH) is a significant psychosocial consequence that negatively impacts the willingness of T1DM patients to engage in and profit from the health benefits of regular physical activity (e.g., cardiometabolic health, improved body composition, cardiovascular fitness, quality of life). Technological advances, improved insulin regimens, and a better understanding of the physiology of various types of exercise could help ameliorate FoH. This narrative review summarizes the available literature on FoH in children and adults and tools to avoid it.

Keywords: Exercise management; Fear of hypoglycemia; Hypoglycemia; Modern technology; Physical activity; Type 1 diabetes mellitus.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Potential mechanisms that can be used to minimize the frequency and fear of hypoglycemia to help type 1 diabetes mellitus patients reach the proposed physical activity levels and improve physical and psychological health. FoH: Fear of hypoglycemia; HYPO: Hypoglycemia; PA: Physical activity; QoL: Quality of life.
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