Blood sugar levels should be controlled intensively, organisation suggests

26 May 2009 - Posted by the Editorial Team

Controlling blood sugar levels intensively in diabetes patients should be implemented on an individual basis, a leading diabetes organisation has said.

Dr Victoria King, Diabetes UK's research manager, said that while intensive control of blood sugar levels should be done individually, the treatment "isn't great for everyone".

"You can develop hypoglycaemia and have hypoglycaemia episodes by intensively treating your blood glucose levels and that's obviously one of the greatest fears of people with diabetes," she commented.

Dr King was responding to findings published in The Lancet, which suggested that the intensive control of blood glucose levels could markedly reduce the risk of heart problems in people suffering from the condition.

The study, which involved patients with type-2 diabetes, compared intensive control of blood sugar to standard glycaemic control.

Despite the findings, the researchers conceded that the effects of intensive control "might be different in differing populations".

Most people diagnosed with diabetes have the type-2 variant, which is linked to lifestyle issues such as poor diet and a lack of physical activity.

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