The economic and patient-centered burden of diabetic hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia events are associated with a measurable economic burden, comprising the direct cost of treating such events and the indirect cost to society of lost work time. There is also a burden on the patient, aside from the clinical symptoms, in terms of reduced quality of life and fear of future hypoglycemia events. This article briefly examines some of the findings of a recent review article on the economic and patient-centered burden of hypoglycemia in patients with type 2 diabetes treated with insulins and/or anti-diabetes drugs, and how the economic burden of hypoglycemia events compares with that in patients with type 1 diabetes. These issues need to be taken into account when decisions are made on treatment options in diabetes.