Blood Sugar and Post-Polio Diabetes
Dr. Bruno’s Original Post: Blood Sugar Can Be Too Low in Post-Polio Diabetics
In 2000, we measured polio survivors’ blood sugar and gave them the same tests of attention and memory that we’d been using to study polio survivors with fatigue. We found that the lower polio survivors’ blood sugar was, the worse they did on the most difficult attention tests. Attention was about 20% BELOW normal for those whose blood sugars were around 80, which is the bottom of the normal range for blood sugar. In fact, polio survivors’ ability to pay attention with a blood sugar of 80 was actually WORSE THAN IN DIABETICS with a blood sugar of 65!
In terms of focusing attention, polio survivors’ brains act as if they are hypoglycemic, with blood sugar levels in their brains about 15 points LOWER than the measurement from their doctors' lab.
This article shows the danger of one-size-fits-all treating of older diabetics that can cause hypoglycemia, brain brownouts, accidents and even death. How much more should this warning apply to diabetic polio survivors whose brain may already be hypoglycemic!
When Diabetes Treatment Goes Too Far When Diabetes Treatment Goes Too Far
By Kasia Lipska
“ONE of my elderly patients has Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. He takes a number of medications, including insulin to control his blood sugar levels. A few years ago, he was driving when his blood sugar suddenly dropped. He felt lightheaded for a moment, and then ran into a tree.
There are roughly 11 million Americans over age 65 with diabetes. Most of them take medications to reduce their blood sugar levels. The majority reach an average blood sugar target, or ‘hemoglobin A1C,’ of less than 7 percent. Why? Early studies showed that this can reduce the risk of diabetes complications, including eye, kidney and nerve problems. As a result, for more than a decade, medical societies, pharmaceutical companies and diabetes groups have campaigned with a simple, concrete message — to get below seven. Many patients carry report cards with their scores to clinic ppointments. Doctors are often rewarded based on how many of their patients hit the target.”
All of this sounds great. But, at least for older people, there are serious problems with the below-seven paradigm.
To begin with, the health benefits of this strategy are uncertain for older people. Those early studies that were the rationale for going below seven were conducted in people with Type 1 diabetes or with younger patients with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes. Subsequent trials of older patients raised doubts about the benefits.
Talk to your doctor about whether or not your sugars should run a little higher.