Dietary treatment of hypoglycaemia: Should the Australian recommendation be increased?

Abstract

Australian recommendations for treatment of hypoglycaemia are 15 g of carbohydrate repeated at 10–15 min if hypoglycaemia persists. Cited evidence is expert opinion or older studies not pertinent to current insulin regimens. This study aimed to determine the effect of increasing initial treating carbohydrate and decreasing wait-time to retreatment on resolution of hypoglycaemia in 92 free-living adults on current insulin regimens. The results support an initial treatment of 20-g carbohydrate, with a 10-min wait to repeat treatment as an optimal recommendation for the insulin-treated individual self-treating hypoglycaemia.