Hypoglycaemia in diabetes is defined as blood glucose falling below approximately how many mmol/L?

Hypoglycaemia in diabetes is defined as blood glucose falling below approximately how many mmol/L?

• A. 2.8 mmol/L
• B. 3.0 mmol/L
• C. 3.6 mmol/L
• D. 4.5 mmol/L

Answer: (C)

Hypoglycaemia occurs when blood glucose drops low enough that the brain doesn’t get enough fuel. In many guidelines, around 3.6 mmol/L is used as the practical threshold to label hypoglycaemia and trigger prompt treatment. This level is low enough to indicate real risk of brain glucose shortage, but not so low that, by the time you reach it, the situation has become more dangerous. Early warning symptoms from the body's counterregulatory responses often appear as glucose approaches this area, and cognitive or neuroglycopenic effects become more evident as it falls further. So the value around 3.6 mmol/L is a commonly cited approximate cutoff for action, which is why it’s considered the best answer. Values at 4.5 mmol/L are generally not hypoglycaemia, while 2.8 or 3.0 mmol/L reflect more severe hypoglycaemia.

Hypoglycaemia occurs when blood glucose drops low enough that the brain doesn’t get enough fuel. In many guidelines, around 3.6 mmol/L is used as the practical threshold to label hypoglycaemia and trigger prompt treatment. This level is low enough to indicate real risk of brain glucose shortage, but not so low that, by the time you reach it, the situation has become more dangerous. Early warning symptoms from the body's counterregulatory responses often appear as glucose approaches this area, and cognitive or neuroglycopenic effects become more evident as it falls further. So the value around 3.6 mmol/L is a commonly cited approximate cutoff for action, which is why it’s considered the best answer. Values at 4.5 mmol/L are generally not hypoglycaemia, while 2.8 or 3.0 mmol/L reflect more severe hypoglycaemia.