New Treatment for Reactive Hypoglycemia: Pioglitazone

An exciting piece of research came out of Japan in October of 2009 and was published in a Japanese Clinical Neurology journal alled Rinnsho Shinkeigaku. The case study was of a nondiabetic, 20-year-old woman with myotonic dystrophy (an inherited, degenerative disorder) who suffered from reactive hypoglycemia. Her blood glucose level went down to 57 mg/dl at the 120 minute mark of an Oral Glucose Tolerance Test and she was diagnosed with reactive hypoglcyemia. Pioglitazone treatment improved her results on the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test and relieved her symptoms.

Pioglitazone is a drug used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It is what is called a “thiazolidinedione antidiabetic:” it lowers blood sugar by making cells more sensitive to insulin. By lowering the body’s sensitivity to insulin, pioglitazone also alleviates the major problem for reactive hypoglycemics: an over-reaction to high insulin and the resultant plummeting blood sugar levels.

Should this mean we should all rush out and ask for the drug? Probably not–but it’s wonderful that researchers are finally taking this disease seriously and looking for answers. It’s important also to note that use of Pioglitazone comes with certain risks, including an increased risk of heart failure. Reactive hypoglycemia comes with a host of unpleasant symptoms, but unlike type 2 diabetes isn’t life threatening. It’s worth considering whether your symptoms justify an increase in heart failure risk (along with all of the other side effects inherent in taking prescription medication).

Reference:
Yamamoto T, Oya Y, Furusawa Y, Nonaka I, Murata M. Successful treatment of recurrent hypoglycemia by pioglitazone in a patient with myotonic dystrophy] [Article in Japanese]Rinsho Shinkeigaku. 2009 Oct;49(10):641-5.[

Related posts:

1. The Prediabetes – Reactive Hypoglycemia Myth

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