Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Hypoglycemia is a common complication of diabetes in cases of perfect glycemic balance, leading to a deterioration in the quality of life for diabetic patients. Early perception of hypoglycemia symptoms can improve the health status of diabetic adolescents.

Objective: The aim of our study is to evaluate the self-perception of hypoglycemia symptoms in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

Materials and Methods: A prospective study conducted at the Endocrinology-Diabetology Department of Ibn Rochd University Hospital in Casablanca, involving adolescents with type 1 diabetes, based on the Clarke score. Data analysis was performed using SPSS.

Results: Sixty-seven patients were included in the study, of which 62.7% were female. The mean age was 16.5 years. The average duration of diabetes was 4.9 years. The mean body mass index was 21.1 kg/m². The average HbA1c was 9.3%. All patients were on a basal-bolus regimen, predominantly using analog insulins at a rate of 59.7%. The frequency of hypoglycemia was 86.5%, with an average of 2 episodes per week. Hypoglycemic episodes mostly occurred in the afternoon. Normal hypoglycemia perception was noted in only 38% of patients. Self-perception of hypoglycemia symptoms was associated with the duration of diabetes (P=0.01)

Conclusion: Our study shows that the perception of hypoglycemia symptoms was normal in adolescents with longer-standing diabetes. Training patients to better perceive the signals their bodies send them represents a new perspective for therapeutic education.