A team of researchers said that a new injectable solution to prevent and treat hypoglycemia conditions in people with diabetes. The study was published in the journal ACS Central Science. Hypoglycemic is a condition wherein blood sugar levels drop below normal, typically below 70 mg/dL.
The condition is most common in people with diabetes who use insulin or other medications to lower blood sugar. Symptoms of the condition include shakiness, sweating, dizziness, confusion and in severe cases, seizures or unconsciousness. Causes of hypoglycemia could be skipping meals, excessive physical activity or taking too much diabetes medication.
Immediate treatment for hypoglycemia is consuming fast-acting carbohydrates like juice or glucose tablets. If left untreated, hypoglycemia can be life-threatening, therefore, it’s important to monitor blood sugar levels and manage them carefully to prevent episodes. According to the team, if glucose levels plunge too low, people can experience hypoglycemia, which can lead to dizziness, cognitive impairment, seizures or comas.
Researchers report encapsulating the hormone glucagon. Glucagon is a hormone that signals the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream. It's typically given by injection to counteract severe hypoglycemia in people who have diabetes.
While an emergency glucagon injection can correct blood sugar levels in about 30 minutes, formulations can be unstable and insoluble in water. In some cases, the hormone quickly breaks dow.
