Chronic Somogyi rebound

Last updated

Chronic Somogyi rebound is a contested explanation of phenomena of elevated blood sugars experienced by diabetics in the morning. Also called the Somogyi effect and posthypoglycemic hyperglycemia, it is a rebounding high blood sugar that is a response to low blood sugar. [1] When managing the blood glucose level with insulin injections, this effect is counter-intuitive to people who experience high blood sugar in the morning as a result of an overabundance of insulin at night.

Contents

This theoretical phenomenon was named after Michael Somogyi [suh MOE jee], a Hungarian-born professor of biochemistry at the Washington University and Jewish Hospital of St. Louis, who prepared the first insulin treatment given to a child with diabetes in the US in October 1922. [2] Somogyi showed that excessive insulin makes diabetes unstable and first published his findings in 1938. [3]

Compare with the dawn phenomenon , which is a morning rise in blood sugar in response to waning insulin and a growth hormone surge (that further antagonizes insulin).

Background

The rebounding blood sugar following undetected diabetic hypoglycemia can easily become chronic when the high morning blood sugar data is misjudged to be due to insufficient nighttime insulin delivery. Somogyi rebound.GIF
The rebounding blood sugar following undetected diabetic hypoglycemia can easily become chronic when the high morning blood sugar data is misjudged to be due to insufficient nighttime insulin delivery.

A person with type 1 diabetes should balance insulin delivery to manage their blood glucose level. Occasionally, insufficient insulin can result in hyperglycemia. The appropriate response is to take a correction dose of insulin to reduce the blood sugar level and to consider adjusting the insulin regimen to deliver additional insulin in the future to prevent hyperglycemia. Conversely, excessive insulin delivery may result in hypoglycemia. The appropriate response is to treat the hypoglycemia and to consider adjusting the regimen to reduce insulin in the future.[ citation needed ]

Somogyi and others [4] have claimed that if prolonged hypoglycemia is untreated, then stress due to low blood sugar can result in a high blood glucose rebound. The physiological mechanisms driving the rebound are defensive. When the blood glucose level falls below normal, the body responds by releasing the endocrine hormone glucagon as well as the stress hormones epinephrine, cortisol and growth hormone. Glucagon facilitates release of glucose from the liver that raises the blood glucose immediately; the stress hormones cause insulin resistance for several hours, sustaining the elevated blood sugar.[ citation needed ]

Detection

The first line of defense in preventing chronic Somogyi rebound is additional blood glucose testing. Continuous glucose monitoring is the preferred method to detect and prevent the Somogyi rebound, but this technology is far from universally used. Alternatively, testing blood sugar more often, 8 to 10 times daily with a traditional blood glucose meter, facilitates detecting the low blood sugar level before such a rebound occurs.[ citation needed ]

Testing occasionally during the middle of the night is also important, particularly when high waking blood sugars are found, to determine if more insulin is needed to prevent hyperglycemia or if less insulin is needed to prevent such a rebound.

Sometimes a person with diabetes will experience the Somogyi rebound when awake and notice symptoms of the initial low blood sugar or symptoms of the rebound. Waking with a night sweat (perhaps combined with a rapid heart rate) is a symptom of the adrenaline and rebound. Unfortunately, the evidence shows that patients with type 1 diabetes do not normally wake during nocturnal hypoglycemic episodes. [5]

While reviewing log data of blood glucose after the fact, signs of Somogyi rebound should be suspected when blood glucose numbers seem higher after the insulin dosage has been raised, particularly in the morning. One simple way to determine if nocturnal hypoglycemia may be causing morning hyperglycemia is to have the patient have a high protein snack with a small amount of carbohydrates at bedtime. This will help keep the blood sugar up overnight and prevent the Somogyi effect. If the morning blood sugar decreases, this is indicative of the Somogyi effect and the daily insulin should be decreased.

Avoidance

In theory, avoidance is simply a matter of preventing hyperinsulinemia. In practice, the difficulty for a diabetic person to aggressively dose insulin to keep blood sugars levels close to normal — while adjusting the insulin regimen to the demands of exercise, stress, and wellness — can practically assure occasional hyperinsulinemia. The pharmacokinetic imperfections of all insulin replacement regimens is a severe limitation.[ citation needed ]

Some practical behaviors which are useful in avoiding chronic Somogyi rebound are:

Controversy

Although this hypothesis is well known among clinicians and individuals with diabetes, there is little scientific evidence to support it. Clinical studies indicate that a high fasting glucose in the morning is more likely because the insulin given on the previous evening fails to last long enough. [6] A study published in 2007 using continuous glucose monitoring showed that a low glucose during the night (nocturnal hypoglycemia) can be highly prevalent in type 1 diabetic treatments, but is associated rather with morning hypoglycemia, not hyperglycemia. [7] Furthermore, many individuals with hypoglycemic episodes during the night do not wake due to a failure of release of epinephrine during nocturnal hypoglycemia. [8] Thus, Somogyi's hypothesis is not assured and may be refuted.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hypoglycemia</span> Decrease in blood sugar

Hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar, is a fall in blood sugar to levels below normal, typically below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L). Whipple's triad is used to properly identify hypoglycemic episodes. It is defined as blood glucose below 70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L), symptoms associated with hypoglycemia, and resolution of symptoms when blood sugar returns to normal. Hypoglycemia may result in headache, tiredness, clumsiness, trouble talking, confusion, fast heart rate, sweating, shakiness, nervousness, hunger, loss of consciousness, seizures, or death. Symptoms typically come on quickly.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insulin pump</span> Medical device to administer insulin

An insulin pump is a medical device used for the administration of insulin in the treatment of diabetes mellitus, also known as continuous subcutaneous insulin therapy. The device configuration may vary depending on design. A traditional pump includes:

The following is a glossary of diabetes which explains terms connected with diabetes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyperglycemia</span> Too much blood sugar, usually because of diabetes

Hyperglycemia or Hyperglycaemia is a condition in which an excessive amount of glucose circulates in the blood plasma. This is generally a blood sugar level higher than 11.1 mmol/L (200 mg/dL), but symptoms may not start to become noticeable until even higher values such as 13.9–16.7 mmol/L (~250–300 mg/dL). A subject with a consistent fasting blood glucose range between ~5.6 and ~7 mmol/L is considered slightly hyperglycemic, and above 7 mmol/L is generally held to have diabetes. For diabetics, glucose levels that are considered to be too hyperglycemic can vary from person to person, mainly due to the person's renal threshold of glucose and overall glucose tolerance. On average, however, chronic levels above 10–12 mmol/L (180–216 mg/dL) can produce noticeable organ damage over time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diabetic coma</span> Medical condition

Diabetic coma is a life-threatening but reversible form of coma found in people with diabetes mellitus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blood sugar level</span> Concentration of glucose present in the blood (Glycaemia)

The blood sugar level, blood sugar concentration, blood glucose level, or glycemia is the measure of glucose concentrated in the blood. The body tightly regulates blood glucose levels as a part of metabolic homeostasis.

Hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia describes the condition and effects of low blood glucose caused by excessive insulin. Hypoglycemia due to excess insulin is the most common type of serious hypoglycemia. It can be due to endogenous or injected insulin.

Diabetes is a chronic disease in cats whereby either insufficient insulin response or insulin resistance leads to persistently high blood glucose concentrations. Diabetes affects up to 1 in 230 cats, and may be becoming increasingly common. Diabetes is less common in cats than in dogs. The condition is treatable, and if treated properly the cat can experience a normal life expectancy. In cats with type 2 diabetes, prompt effective treatment may lead to diabetic remission, in which the cat no longer needs injected insulin. Untreated, the condition leads to increasingly weak legs in cats and eventually to malnutrition, ketoacidosis and/or dehydration, and death.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hyperinsulinemia</span> Abnormal increase in insulin in the bloodstream relative to glucose

Hyperinsulinemia is a condition in which there are excess levels of insulin circulating in the blood relative to the level of glucose. While it is often mistaken for diabetes or hyperglycaemia, hyperinsulinemia can result from a variety of metabolic diseases and conditions, as well as non-nutritive sugars in the diet. While hyperinsulinemia is often seen in people with early stage type 2 diabetes mellitus, it is not the cause of the condition and is only one symptom of the disease. Type 1 diabetes only occurs when pancreatic beta-cell function is impaired. Hyperinsulinemia can be seen in a variety of conditions including diabetes mellitus type 2, in neonates and in drug-induced hyperinsulinemia. It can also occur in congenital hyperinsulinism, including nesidioblastosis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diabetic hypoglycemia</span> Medical condition

Diabetic hypoglycemia is a low blood glucose level occurring in a person with diabetes mellitus. It is one of the most common types of hypoglycemia seen in emergency departments and hospitals. According to the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System-All Injury Program (NEISS-AIP), and based on a sample examined between 2004 and 2005, an estimated 55,819 cases involved insulin, and severe hypoglycemia is likely the single most common event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reactive hypoglycemia</span> Medical condition

Reactive hypoglycemia, postprandial hypoglycemia, or sugar crash is a term describing recurrent episodes of symptomatic hypoglycemia occurring within four hours after a high carbohydrate meal in people with and without diabetes. The term is not necessarily a diagnosis since it requires an evaluation to determine the cause of the hypoglycemia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Type 1 diabetes</span> Form of diabetes mellitus

Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that originates when cells that make insulin are destroyed by the immune system. Insulin is a hormone required for the cells to use blood sugar for energy and it helps regulate glucose levels in the bloodstream. It results in high blood sugar levels in the body prior to treatment. The common symptoms of this elevated blood sugar are frequent urination, increased thirst, increased hunger, weight loss, and other serious complications. Additional symptoms may include blurry vision, tiredness, and slow wound healing. Symptoms typically develop over a short period of time, often a matter of weeks if not months.

The term diabetes includes several different metabolic disorders that all, if left untreated, result in abnormally high concentrations of a sugar called glucose in the blood. Diabetes mellitus type 1 results when the pancreas no longer produces significant amounts of the hormone insulin, usually owing to the autoimmune destruction of the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Diabetes mellitus type 2, in contrast, is now thought to result from autoimmune attacks on the pancreas and/or insulin resistance. The pancreas of a person with type 2 diabetes may be producing normal or even abnormally large amounts of insulin. Other forms of diabetes mellitus, such as the various forms of maturity-onset diabetes of the young, may represent some combination of insufficient insulin production and insulin resistance. Some degree of insulin resistance may also be present in a person with type 1 diabetes.

A diabetic diet is a diet that is used by people with diabetes mellitus or high blood sugar to minimize symptoms and dangerous complications of long-term elevations in blood sugar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blood sugar regulation</span> Hormones regulating blood sugar levels

Blood sugar regulation is the process by which the levels of blood sugar, the common name for glucose dissolved in blood plasma, are maintained by the body within a narrow range.

The dawn phenomenon, sometimes called the dawn effect, is an observed increase in blood sugar (glucose) levels that takes place in the early-morning, often between 2 a.m. and 8 a.m. First described by Schmidt in 1981 as an increase of blood glucose or insulin demand occurring at dawn, this naturally occurring phenomenon is frequently seen among the general population and is clinically relevant for patients with diabetes as it can affect their medical management. In contrast to Chronic Somogyi rebound, the dawn phenomenon is not associated with nocturnal hypoglycemia.

Complications of diabetes are secondary diseases that are a result of elevated blood glucose levels that occur in diabetic patients. These complications can be divided into two types: acute and chronic. Acute complications are complications that develop rapidly and can be exemplified as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS), lactic acidosis (LA), and hypoglycemia. Chronic complications develop over time and are generally classified in two categories: microvascular and macrovascular. Microvascular complications include neuropathy, nephropathy, and retinopathy; while cardiovascular disease, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease are included in the macrovascular complications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diabetes in dogs</span>

Diabetes mellitus is a disease in which the beta cells of the endocrine pancreas either stop producing insulin or can no longer produce it in enough quantity for the body's needs. The disease can affect humans as well as animals such as dogs.

Neonatal hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar in newborn babies, occurs when an infant's blood glucose level is less than what is considered normal. There is inconsistency internationally for diagnostic thresholds. In the US, hypoglycemia is when the blood glucose level is below 30 mg/dL within the first 24 hours of life and below 45 mg/dL after, but international standards differ. Age, birth weight, metabolic needs, and wellness state of the newborn has a substantial impact on their blood glucose level. This is a treatable condition, but its treatment depends on the cause of the hypoglycemia. Though it is treatable, it can be fatal if gone undetected. Hypoglycemia is the most common metabolic problem in newborns.

Mladen Vranic, MD, DSc, O.C., O.Ont, FRSC, FRCP(C), FCAHS, Canadian Medical Hall of Fame[CMHF] April 3, 1930 – June 18, 2019, was a Croatian-born diabetes researcher, best known for his work in tracer methodology, exercise and stress in diabetes, the metabolic effects of hormonal interactions, glucagon physiology, extrapancreatic glucagon, the role of the direct and indirect metabolic effects of insulin and the prevention of hypoglycemia. Vranic was recognized by a number of national and international awards for his research contributions, mentoring and administration including the Orders of Canada (Officer) and Ontario.

References

  1. Understanding Diabetes a.k.a. The Pink Panther Book by H. Peter Chase, chapter 6 page 47.
  2. Michael Somogyi (www.whonamedit.com)
  3. Somogyi, M; Kirstein, M (1938). "Insulin as a cause of extreme hyperglycemia and instability". Weekly Bulletin of the St Louis Medical Society. 32: 498–510. hdl:2027/uc1.$b721522. OCLC   11637296.
    (As of 2011-05-28, the electronic text is not open access).
  4. Gerich, J. E. (1988). "Lilly lecture 1988. Glucose counterregulation and its impact on diabetes mellitus". Diabetes. 37 (12): 1608–17. doi:10.2337/diabetes.37.12.1608. PMID   3056759.
  5. Schultes, Bernd; Jauch-Chara, Kamila; Gais, Steffen; Hallschmid, Manfred; Reiprich, Eva; Kern, Werner; Oltmanns, Kerstin M.; Peters, Achim; Fehm, Horst L.; Born, Jan (2007). "Defective Awakening Response to Nocturnal Hypoglycemia in Patients with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus". PLOS Medicine. 4 (2): e69. doi: 10.1371/journal.pmed.0040069 . PMC   1808097 . PMID   17326710.
  6. Gale EA, Kurtz AB, Tattersall RB (August 1980). "In search of the Somogyi effect". Lancet. 2 (8189): 279–82. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(80)90233-0. PMID   6105438. S2CID   9371847.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. Guillod L, Comte-Perret S, Monbaron D, Gaillard RC, Ruiz J (November 2007). "Nocturnal hypoglycaemias in type 1 diabetic patients: what can we learn with continuous glucose monitoring?" (PDF). Diabetes Metab. 33 (5): 360–5. doi:10.1016/j.diabet.2007.03.007. PMID   17652003.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  8. Matyka KA, Crowne EC, Havel PJ, Macdonald IA, Matthews D, Dunger DB (July 1999). "Counterregulation during spontaneous nocturnal hypoglycemia in prepubertal children with type 1 diabetes". Diabetes Care. 22 (7): 1144–50. doi:10.2337/diacare.22.7.1144. PMID   10388980.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  • Michael Cooperman, MD; Chief Editor: George T Griffing, MD. Somogyi Phenomenon. Medscape Dec 15, 2011.