Low blood sugar ‘can cause overnight heart rhythm irregularity in diabetics’

New UK research has shed light on a potentially dangerous link between low blood sugar levels in diabetic patients and irregular heart rhythms overnight.

The University of Sheffield study used continuous glucose monitoring and electrocardiograms to track blood glucose levels and heart rates over a week in a group of older patients with type 2 diabetes and a history of cardiovascular disease.

It found that dangerous overnight blood sugar levels often go undetected and cause prolonged periods of heart rhythm disturbance, often lasting for several hours.

This could help to explain why young people without any history of long-term complications die suddenly from heart problems while they sleep, as well as underlining the importance of ensuring blood sugar levels are maintained overnight.

Simon Heller, professor of clinical diabetes at the University of Sheffield, said: "What we've found is potentially important in explaining a possible mechanism by which low overnight blood sugars lead to prolonged, slow heart rates that could disturb blood flow to the heart, causing life-threatening heart attacks."

In the UK, diabetes affects approximately 2.9 million people, with the condition expected to become an even more pressing issue in the coming years.