What is reactive hypoglycemia?

    Last Updated: March 11, 2024

    Hypoglycemia occurs when blood glucose levels dip below normal ranges (i.e., less than 50 milligrams of glucose per deciliter of blood, or mg/dL).[1][2] Reactive hypoglycemia (RH) is a subtype of hypoglycemia which is often defined by a dip in blood glucose that occurs 2–5 hours after a meal (postprandial). Since RH is not fully understood, its definition varies and sometimes also includes a dysfunctional response to insulin and/or to the consumption of specific foods. RH may occur in both individuals with and without diabetes and may lead to insulin resistance.[3][4][5] [6][7][8][9][10] RH has been categorized into at least three forms, which depend on how quickly symptoms appear after eating: RH that occurs 2–3 hours post meal is considered alimentary, 3–4 hours after a meal is idiopathic, and longer than 4 hours post meal is called late RH.[6][7]

    References

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    2. ^Ahmed, F. W., Majeed, M. S., & Kirresh, O.“Non-Diabetic Hypoglycemia”, in StatPearls (Internet). USA: StatPearls Publishing.(2023)
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    4. ^Kishimoto I, Ohashi ALower Glucose Effectiveness Is Associated with Subclinical Reactive Hypoglycemia, Snacking Habits, and Obesity.Metabolites.(2023-Feb-06)
    5. ^Nguyen Q, Pandya S, Chin K, Parkin CGUse of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Detecting Reactive Hypoglycemia in Individuals Without Diabetes.J Diabetes Sci Technol.(2018-Nov)
    6. ^Altuntaş YPostprandial Reactive Hypoglycemia.Sisli Etfal Hastan Tip Bul.(2019)
    7. ^Hofeldt FDReactive hypoglycemia.Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am.(1989-Mar)
    8. ^Hall M, Walicka M, Panczyk M, Traczyk IAssessing Long-Term Impact of Dietary Interventions on Occurrence of Symptoms Consistent with Hypoglycemia in Patients without Diabetes: A One-Year Follow-Up Study.Nutrients.(2022-Jan-24)
    9. ^Karakas SEReactive Hypoglycemia: A Trigger for Nutrient-Induced Endocrine and Metabolic Responses in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.J Clin Med.(2023-Nov-23)
    10. ^Lv X, Fang K, Hao W, Han Y, Yang N, Yu QIdentification of Reactive Hypoglycemia with Different Basic BMI and Its Causes by Prolonged Oral Glucose Tolerance Test.Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes.(2020)