The importance of adopting healthy exercise routines has been repeatedly emphasized to individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM). However, knowledge about the risk of exercise-induced hypoglycemia is limited. Regular exercise reduces and delays the onset of DM-related complications particularly in individuals who already have DM. However, an excessive exercise can lead to hypoglycemia. Excessive exercise in the evening can cause hypoglycemia while sleeping. Furthermore, if individuals with DM want to have a greater amount of exercise, the exercise duration rather than intensity must be increased. In weight resistance exercises, it is beneficial to first increase the number of repetitions, followed by the number of sets and gradually the weight of resistance. When performing intermittent high-intensity training within a short time period, hypoglycemia may develop for an extended period after exercise. In addition to adjusting exercise regimens, the medication doses must be modified accordingly. Delaying exercise, adjusting the number of snacks consumed prior to exercise, reducing insulin dose before exercise, and injecting insulin into the abdomen rather than the limbs prevent exercise-induced hypoglycemia prior to a spontaneous exercise. Ultimately, with personal knowledge on how to prevent hypoglycemia, the effects of exercise can be maximized in individuals with DM, and a healthy lifestyle can prevent future complications.
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Hypoglycemia is one of the severe complications of diabetes. To prevent hypoglycemia, an emphasis is placed on maintaining an appropriate balance between nutrition, activity, and treatment, which can be achieved by the repetition of self-trials based on self-monitoring. Clinicians routinely focus on patients’ contribution, including timely intake of an adequate amount of carbohydrates, physical activity, antidiabetic medication, and abstinence from alcohol. Recently, many guidelines have highlighted the importance of clinicians’ factors and recommend individualized treatments according to lifestyle patterns and specific needs following the de-intensification of treatment. The optimal value of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels for blood glucose level regulation remains controversial among countries, but it generally does not exceed 8.0%. In populations that are at a risk of hypoglycemia, such as the older adults, it is advisable to adjust the target blood glucose level to less than 8.0%. Meanwhile, a blood glucose level of 7.0%–7.5% is generally recommended for healthy older adults. If the expected lifetime is shorter than 10 years or in patients with chronic kidney disease and severe cardiovascular disease, the HbA1c level target can be increased to 7.5%–8.0%. For even shorter lifetime expectancy, the target can be adjusted up to 8.0%–9.0%. To prevent hypoglycemia, the target blood glucose level needs to be adjusted, particularly in older adult patients. Ultimately, it is important to identify the maximum blood glucose levels that do not cause hypoglycemia and the minimum blood glucose levels that do not cause hyperglycemia-associated complications.
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Review—Glucose Monitoring Sensors: History, Principle, and Challenges Yanzhen Jing, Shwu Jen Chang, Ching-Jung Chen, Jen-Tsai Liu Journal of The Electrochemical Society.2022; 169(5): 057514. CrossRef
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