HIGHLIGHTS
This Diabetes Awareness Month, let’s remember:
- People with diabetes do an incredible job at managing something that never switches off.
- Diabetes technology has leaped forward, yet, the treatment for a low blood sugar episode (hypo) – is essentially 100 years old.
- People with diabetes deserve complete recovery after a hypo – not just fixing the numbers on a meter.
- New science of adaptive energy helps power the brain directly, supporting a faster, full recovery from post-hypo brain fog.
HYPOS: A CENTURY WITHOUT CHANGE
Every November, Diabetes Awareness Month reminds us that living with diabetes means more than balancing Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) numbers, it’s about balancing life, 24 hours a day.
Diabetes technology has leaped forward, giving us smart pumps and cutting-edge sensors. Yet, the treatment for the most frequent crisis – a low blood sugar episode (hypo) – is essentially 100 years old.
“We’ve made huge progress in diabetes technology – pumps, sensors, smart algorithms – but hypo care hasn’t moved in decades.” – Prof D Russell-Jones
Some people may experience one to two hypos a week. Over a year, that can be 100 to 200 episodes for someone on insulin, contributing to more than a billion hypos globally. For generations, the answer has been simple – sugar. It works to raise blood glucose on your meter, but it doesn't fix the exhaustion, anxiety, and hours of "brain fog" that follow.
THE HIDDEN SIDE OF HYPOS
”Brain fog” is a drained, cloudy, ‘hangover-like effect’ that can last for hours after a hypo. You’re technically “in range,” but your brain hasn’t caught up yet. Focus slips, memory blurs, and energy disappears. It can disrupt work, sport, and social life, and leave you anxious about when the next low will hit.
“Diabetes has held me back from feeling fit. Even after years of managing hypos, it’s still so hard – if I go low during sport, I’m pretty much out for the next 15-20 minutes. You can’t just bounce straight back.” Patient with T1D (Will)
“When I wake up low, my whole morning’s ruined. I’m slow, late for work, and completely drained before the day’s even started.” – Patient with T1D (Sophie)
Despite being one of the most common complications of diabetes, this post-hypo fog is rarely talked about. This means that traditional sugar treatments are failing the most critical organ: the brain. People are still relying on sticky gels and chalky tablets that are hard to use when you’re at your weakest – and only offer a temporary number fix. It’s time for something better.
“The main frustration isn’t the hypo itself, but the hassle of managing it with sticky gels and messy glucose tubes. I also dislike the health trade-off of consuming loads of sugar just to fix one issue.” – Patient with T1D (Theo)
THE NEXT CHAPTER IN HYPO CARE
No one should have to lose hours of their day after doing everything right. That means recognising that glucose isn’t the brain’s only fuel.
During and after a hypo the brain experiences an energy bottleneck that is not resolved by simply restoring glucose. The brain can use adaptive energy sources – natural alternative fuels like BHB and lactate to keep the brain and body powered during fasting, exercise, or stress. Emerging evidence suggests that their use in combination with glucose leads to better and faster recovery from hypoglycaemia.
Thanks to new research, we’re finally beginning to understand and use these adaptive energy systems. This marks a shift from “treating the low” to supporting complete recovery – getting people back to feeling their best after a hypo.