People should be more aware of hypos for type 1 diabetes

A new survey by Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) has revealed that over half of people in the UK are not aware that hypoglycaemia, or hypo, is a dangerous state of low levels of blood glucose in the body.
The survey into 2,075 adults by JDRF, which funds research into type 1 diabetes, found that 53 per cent of UK population did not know about it, despite it being a major health problem for thousands of patients with type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune condition that causes the immune system to turn on itself and attack cells in the pancreas which produce insulin .
With this being National Diabetes Week, the organisation is calling on people to become more aware of the threat of hypos, how to deal with them, and to be able to identify their symptoms of sweating, shakiness, fatigue, shallow breathing and confusion.
Karen Addingto, chief executive at JDRF, commented “Symptoms of hypoglycaemia can make a person seem angry, confused or even drunk. Someone in the middle of a hypo may not be able to treat their condition, or explain what they need, so early and immediate help is important.”
She added “Hypos are a day to day concern for people living with type 1 diabetes and I hope that more people will take notice and become hypo aware .”