JDRF Studying Causes, Methods of Preventing Hypoglycemia

JDRF Studying Causes, Methods of Preventing Hypoglycemia

For patients with type 1 diabetes, a major obstacle to maintaining tight blood glucose control is the fear of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which in its harshest form can lead to seizures or unconsciousness -- a condition called hypoglycemic shock, or insulin shock. See our frequently asked questions about hypoglycemia.

JDRF Research:
The JDRF Center for the Study of Hypoglycemia at Yale University has been studying the causes of hypoglycemia and the measures that can be taken to prevent it. Scientists are studying how hypoglycemia affects the brain and other parts of the body. Basic research is needed to understand how glucose sensing, counterregulation (how the body corrects low blood sugar), and brain function work during hypoglycemia. Understanding how the brain works and how it's affected by hypoglycemia can help scientists develop methods that protect the brain from damage, minimize the risk of hypoglycemia, and achieve optimal blood sugar control.

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International (JDRF)
120 Wall Street
New York, New York 10005-4001
800-533-CURE (2873)
E-mail: info@jdrf.org

JDRF is a leader in setting the agenda for diabetes research worldwide, and is the largest charitable funder and advocate of type 1 research. The mission of JDRF is to find a cure for diabetes and its complications through the support of research. Type 1 diabetes is a disease which strikes children and adults suddenly and requires multiple injections of insulin daily or a continuous infusion of insulin through a pump. Insulin, however, is not a cure for diabetes, nor does it prevent its eventual and devastating complications which may include kidney failure, blindness, heart disease, stroke, and amputation.

Since its founding in 1970 by parents of children with type 1 diabetes, JDRF has awarded more than $1.3 billion to diabetes research, including more than $156 million in FY2008. In FY2008 the Foundation funded more than 1,000 centers, grants and fellowships in 22 countries.