Endocrine Abstracts

Hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) is the most important acute side effect of insulin and insulin secretagogue therapies for diabetes mellitus. The initial response to a threat to the circulating glucose concentration is cessation of endogenous insulin and stimulation of pancreatic glucagon release – neither of which happen in insulin deficient diabetes. Patients with diabetes depend on other autonomic and most importantly symptomatic responses to defend against falls in b...

Background and aims: Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) requires daily self-management to mimic endocrine function, using numerical skills such as carbohydrate counting and interpreting nutritional information. Healthcare professionals (HCPs) rely on effective communication to relay information to people with T1DM to enable good self-care. Curricula for diabetes self-management education (DSME) courses require high-school level numerical skills. Eighty percent of adults in the Un...