New study links low blood sugar and heart problems in diabetes patients

Diabetic patients with low blood glucose could be at greater risk of cardiovascular events, according to a new UK study.

Carried out by the University of Leicester, the new research revealed that insulin-treated patients with diabetes had an higher risk of cardiovascular events of around 60 percent. They were also between two and 2.5 times more likely to die over the same period as patients who did not experience hypoglycaemia.

Patients with diabetes are already at higher risk of cardiovascular disease due to the formation of atherosclerotic plaques in blood vessels. This newly-discovered association was found to apply to patients with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

As such, this study points the way to new treatment management strategies that prioritise minimising the risk of hypoglycaemic events.

Kamlesh Khunti, professor of primary care diabetes and vascular medicine at the University of Leicester, said: "The risks are very significant and we need to identify these patients early with a view to implementing strategies to reduce their risk of hypoglycaemia."

In 2010, there were approximately 3.1 million people aged 16 or over with diabetes in England. By 2030, this figure is expected to have risen to 4.6 million.