Diabetes Education, Support Cuts Hypoglycemia Risk

Diabetes self-management education and support can cut hypoglycemia risk, according to a review published in the August issue of The Diabetes Educator.

Jacqueline LaManna, Ph.D., from the American Association of Diabetes Educators in Chicago, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature search (2001 through 2017) to identify studies evaluating diabetes education as an intervention with a directly measurable outcome for hypoglycemia risk or events.

The researchers identified 14 quasiexperimental, experimental, and case-control studies. Eight articles reported a positive impact of diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) on hypoglycemia outcomes, including decreased hypoglycemia events (two of eight). Five studies targeted change in reported hypoglycemia symptoms, with all reporting a significant decrease. A beneficial impact of DSMES was also seen for intermediate (knowledge gain, behavior change) and long-term (humanistic and economic/utilization) outcomes. Limitations included an absence of common hypoglycemia measures and terminology and suboptimal descriptions of DSMES programs.

"Diabetes education is an important intervention for reducing hypoglycemia events and/or symptoms and should be included as a component of future hypoglycemia risk mitigation studies," the authors write.

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