Citation

Jitschin A, Schleser-Mohr S, Stierling A, Meier JJ, Nauck MA. Acta Diabetol. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Diabetes Division, Katholisches Klinikum Bochum, St. Josef-Hospital (Ruhr-University Bochum), Gudrunstr. 56, 44791, Bochum, Germany. michael.nauck@rub.de.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s00592-020-01502-y

PMID

32166401

Abstract

AIMS: We aimed to quantify the exposure to physical exercise associated with professional, recreational, or traffic-related activities in patients with type 2 diabetes, which may provoke or aggravate hypoglycaemic episodes, and to assess whether such risks determine the choice of medications minimizing the risk of hypoglycaemia.

METHODS: In total, 203 patients with type 2 diabetes (98 women, 105 men, age 65 [56;72; median, inter-quartile range] years, diabetes duration 10 [5;15] years) were recruited from a German diabetes practice. A questionnaire assessed their engagement in professional, recreational, or traffic-related activities. The prescription insulin or sulphonylureas was quantified in relation to the number of such activities.

RESULTS: 63.5% of the patients were treated with insulin, 7.4% with sulphonylureas, and 70.9% with either. Sixty-six patients (22.7%) were professionally active: 36 (54.4%) of those were professionally exposed to risky behaviour (14 [31.8%] patients with exposure to multiple risks and 20 (30.3%) who experienced hypoglycaemic episodes in the past year). In total, 194 (95.6%) patients were exposed to risky behaviour during recreational activities, 129 (63.6%) to multiple ones. All patients were exposed to traffic-related activities, 144 (70.9%) were exposed to more than being pedestrian, and 24 (11.8%) experienced hypoglycaemic episodes while in traffic.

CONCLUSIONS: Patients with type 2 diabetes are exposed to risks associated with professional, recreational, and traffic-related activities. We recommend a careful assessment of such risks before glucose-lowering medications with a potential for provoking hypoglycaemic episodes are prescribed.

Language: en

Keywords

Damage; Glucose-lowering medications; Hypoglycaemia; Injury; Physical activity