Published Nov 27, 2013

Copenhagen, Denmark - A new, international study published in Value in Health reveals the high economic and personal cost of seemingly non-severe episodes of hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) suffered by people with diabetes at night while sleeping. According to the study, each non-severe nocturnal hypoglycaemic event (NSNHE) costs $127.00 per person, per episode, as a result of lost work productivity and health care use, and hence the study authors say the non-severe label is a ‘serious misnomer’. NSNHEs are so called because they do not require immediate medical attention or help from anyone else, however, they disrupt sleep and can affect functioning and wellbeing the next day. The study surveyed 2,108 people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes in nine countries in Europe and North America to evaluate the economic impact of these events in terms of lost work productivity and health care use (e.g., use of extra blood sugar tests and contacts with health care professionals). “Given these findings, we cannot ignore the serious consequences of so-called non-severe night-time episodes of hypoglycaemia on patients and the economy. We should consider treatments that can reduce night-time hypoglycaemia,” said lead investigator Meryl Brod, PhD, President, The Brod Group. The full study, “Understanding the Economic Burden of Nonsevere Nocturnal Hypoglycemic Events: Impact on Work Productivity, Disease Management, and Resource Utilization,” is published in Value in Health.

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