OBJECTIVE -To investigate whether risk of severe hypoglycemia is related to serum (S) ACE level during intensive treatment in type 1 diabetic children. (1.0), and the HbA 1c year mean was 4.7-10.2% (6.8). HbA 1c , insulin doses, and events of severe hypoglycemia (needing assistance from another person) were prospectively registered at regular visits, scheduled quarterly. S-ACE was determined once.
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSRESULTS -Severe hypoglycemia was correlated to S-ACE (r ϭ 0.22, 95% CI 0.01-0.41, P ϭ 0.0093). The square root of severe hypoglycemia was correlated to S-ACE (r ϭ 0.27, 95% CI 0.06 -0.45, P ϭ 0.0093). Patients with S-ACE at the median level or above (n ϭ 44) reported a mean of 3.0 yearly events of severe hypoglycemia compared with 0.5 events in patients with S-ACE lower than the median (n ϭ 42) (P ϭ 0.0079). Of the patients with an S-ACE at the median level or above, 27 (61%) reported severe hypoglycemia, compared with 17 (40%) patients with an S-ACE lower than the median (P ϭ 0.0527). Insulin dose, HbA 1c , age, onset age, duration, C-peptide, and sex did not differ between these two groups. S-ACE was negatively correlated with age (r ϭ Ϫ0.27, 95% CI Ϫ0.46 to 0.07, P ϭ 0.0265) but not with HbA 1c , duration, or blood pressure.CONCLUSIONS -The elevated rate of severe hypoglycemia among patients with higher S-ACE suggests, among other factors, that a genetic determinant for severe hypoglycemia exists. Further evaluation is needed before the clinical usefulness of this test can be elucidated.
Diabetes Care 26:274 -278, 2003