D4D Diabetes Theme Lead Professor Simon Heller to lead Sheffield as one of six UK sites in world-leading diabetes project

Researchers from Sheffield are to play a leading role in a major international effort aimed at devising better treatments for people living with hypoglycaemia, a common and potentially serious complication of diabetes.

The £23.6m project, funded by the European Economic Community, which will run over four years and involves 10 countries and six UK centres, brings together world leaders from the field of diabetes, including clinicians from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and internationally renowned health economists from the University of Sheffield’s School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR).

The Hypo-RESOLVE Consortium will look to find better solutions to alleviate the burden and consequences of hypoglycaemia in people living with diabetes, which can be very frightening and have a major psychological impact on people’s lives. The effects range from unpleasant symptoms such as sweating and tremor to loss of concentration and confusion. In the most severe cases people can become unconsciousness and experience epileptic seizures. Even severe episodes can be treated successfully but often require the attendance of paramedics or admission to hospital.

Hypoglycaemia is a side effect of insulin treatment and develops when blood glucose levels drop lower than the normal range. A mild hypo can be treated by eating fast-acting carbohydrate while more severe episodes may require injection of glucose solutions into a vein.

You can read the full news item on Sheffield Teaching Hospital’s website, here.