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Hypoglycemia in Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Hypoglycemia in Children and Adolescents With Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
All topics are updated as new evidence becomes available and our peer review process is complete.
INTRODUCTION
The symptoms, risk factors, prevention, and treatment of hypoglycemia in children and
adolescents with T1DM are discussed in this topic review. Other issues in this population are
discussed separately:
● (See "Insulin therapy for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus".)
● (See "Complications and screening in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes
mellitus".)
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● (See "Management of exercise for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes
mellitus".)
● Clinical hypoglycemia alert – Blood glucose <70 mg/dL (3.9 mmol/L); this is commonly
used as a threshold for recognizing and initiating treatment for hypoglycemia.
● Clinically important or serious hypoglycemia – Blood glucose <54 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L);
values in this range tend to be associated with defective glucose counterregulation,
impaired hypoglycemia awareness, and, sometimes, cognitive dysfunction.
Although these blood glucose thresholds are somewhat arbitrary because the clinical
correlates vary among individuals and across age groups, they provide consistent definitions
that can be applied to research and also match definitions proposed by an international
consensus panel for hypoglycemia in adults [5].
RISK FACTORS
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Young age — Hypoglycemic episodes are more common and severe in younger children
because food intake, activity, and adherence to treatment schedules are less predictable in
younger compared with older children. Aiming for very tight glycemic control can further
increase the risk of hypoglycemia in this age group, although this risk can be reduced with
the use of a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device together with a pump that has a
predictive low glucose insulin suspend feature [7]. (See "Overview of the management of
type 1 diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents", section on 'Age-based care'.)
Type of insulin regimen — Insulin dosing regimens are an important predictor of the risk of
hypoglycemia. In general, intensive insulin therapy has the advantage of improved glycemic
control and probably also reduces the risk for hypoglycemia when appropriately
administered. (See "Insulin therapy for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes
mellitus", section on 'Value of an intensive regimen'.)
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• Multiple daily injections (MDI) – Most regimens use a long-acting insulin analog
(insulin glargine, detemir, or degludec) to deliver insulin at a relatively consistent
basal rate without a pronounced peak effect ( table 1). Boluses of a rapid-acting
insulin such as lispro, aspart, or glulisine are given before meals and snacks or,
sometimes, immediately after the meal or snack (particularly in very young children
or when it is uncertain whether or not the child will finish the meal/snack).
Observational studies have shown that this approach reduces the incidence of
severe hypoglycemic episodes in all age groups, including children <6 years of age,
as compared with fixed insulin regimens. These data are discussed in a separate
topic review. (See "Insulin therapy for children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes
mellitus", section on 'Multiple daily injections'.)
When using either MDI or insulin pump therapy, administration of boluses of rapid-acting or
short-acting insulin before the glucose-lowering effect of each dose has completely
dissipated is referred to as "stacking" and may precipitate hypoglycemia. To prevent
"stacking," patients should be counseled to wait at least three hours before administering
another dose of rapid-acting insulin to correct hyperglycemia.
● Glucose sensors and sensor-augmented pumps – Devices that may help to reduce
rates of hypoglycemia include:
• CGM device
These
• devices are described in more detail in a separate topic, including their
performances for reducing hypoglycemia in children. (See "Insulin therapy for children
and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus", section on 'Automated insulin delivery
(hybrid closed-loop insulin pumps)' and "Insulin therapy for children and adolescents
with type 1 diabetes mellitus", section on 'Insulin pumps with glucose sensors'.)
● Monitoring blood glucose before, during, and after vigorous activity. If this is a new
activity, monitoring should be done up to 12 hours after physical activity because of
possible delayed effects.
● Reducing the basal rate of the insulin pump (by setting a "temporary" basal rate) for the
duration of exercise and for a variable period thereafter.
Automated systems to adjust insulin infusions may also reduce the risk of hypoglycemia
during exercise. Preliminary studies suggest benefits from use of a predictive low glucose
suspend system or a closed-loop control system [24-26]. (See "Insulin therapy for children
and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus", section on 'Insulin pumps with glucose
sensors'.)
Exercise can cause paradoxical hyperglycemia under certain conditions, including high-
intensity activity or competition, because of release of counterregulatory hormones from
stress associated with the activity. Glycemic management during exercise is discussed in
detail in a separate topic review. (See "Management of exercise for children and adolescents
with type 1 diabetes mellitus".)
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● Acute illness – During acute illnesses associated with nausea, vomiting, and anorexia,
hypoglycemia may occur because of poor oral intake if the doses of insulin with meal-
associated peaks are not appropriately adjusted. Hyperglycemia can also occur during
acute illnesses because of peripheral insulin resistance. Frequent blood glucose
monitoring is mandatory for insulin dose adjustment based upon the blood glucose
measurements. In many cases, the insulin dose may need to be reduced, but it should
only rarely be omitted entirely because hyperglycemia and diabetic ketoacidosis can
develop if basal insulin is not given. (See "Management of type 1 diabetes mellitus in
children during illness, procedures, school, or travel", section on 'Sick-day
management'.)
Targets for glycemic control — A target for hemoglobin A1c (A1C) of <7 percent (53
mmol/mol) is recommended for most children and adolescents who have access to
comprehensive diabetes care, but a more or less stringent target may be appropriate for an
individual patient [1,27]. These stringent A1C targets improve glycemic control without
significantly increasing the risk for severe hypoglycemia. Considerations for setting an A1C
target in individual patients are discussed separately. (See "Insulin therapy for children and
adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus", section on 'Target for hemoglobin A1c'.)
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effort to avoid hypoglycemic episodes [28-31]. Counseling about this issue and careful
attention to accurate insulin dose calculations should be an important part of diabetes
management [32].
Neurologic sequelae
● Chronic effects of hypoglycemia – Concerns have been raised that severe or repeated
episodes of hypoglycemia may have deleterious effects on brain development and
learning, particularly in young children [41-44]. Therefore, avoidance of these episodes
is an important goal of diabetes management, especially in young children. Fortunately,
studies of children and adults using modern methods of diabetes management provide
some reassurance that moderate episodes of hypoglycemia probably are not
associated with long-term cognitive sequelae [40,45-47]. As an example, in a
population-based study of children with T1DM in Denmark, there were no differences in
standardized tests for reading and mathematics between children with and those
without T1DM [47]. In addition, children with onset of T1DM before six years of age or
those with diabetes duration of more than four years did not have significantly
different test scores compared with children without T1DM. Sixty-four percent of the
children used an insulin pump, and those with tight glucose control had better test
scores than those with poor control. Similarly, among adults and adolescents enrolled
in the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT), neither tight glucose control
(intensive therapy) nor recurrent severe hypoglycemia were associated with cognitive
deficits after an average of 6.5 years of follow-up [48]. Long-term follow-up of the DCCT
cohort after 18 years of therapy still revealed no association between cognitive function
and frequency of episodes of hypoglycemia [49]. These findings contrast with earlier
studies in which earlier onset of T1DM was associated with an increased risk for mild
neuropsychological dysfunction [50-55].
Although early onset of T1DM may be associated with an increased risk for
neuropsychological dysfunction and structural changes in the brain, it is not clear that
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Preparation for hypoglycemic episodes — Key precautions for all patients with T1DM are:
● Oral glucose – Always have ready access to a concentrated and rapidly absorbed
simple carbohydrate food source, such as sweetened fruit juice, glucose tablets, or cake
frosting. (See 'Mild and moderate hypoglycemia' below.)
● Glucagon – Have a glucagon kit at home, at school/daycare, and in the car during long
journeys. Prescriptions should be refilled before the date of expiration. (See 'Glucagon'
below.)
Clinicians should inquire about symptoms of hypoglycemia during the routine care of a child
with T1DM ( table 2). Identification of nocturnal hypoglycemia is particularly important,
given reported incidences on any given night of 30 percent or more in children on insulin
pump or multiple daily injections (MDI) and higher rates in young children or those using
fixed-dose insulin regimens [61-63]. Symptoms can be subtle and include nightmares,
restless sleep, and, upon awakening, headache, confusion, or behavior changes. Decreased
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● Adrenergic symptoms – Tremor, pallor, rapid heart rate, palpitations, and diaphoresis.
These are caused by sympathetic neural activation and epinephrine release [65].
However, episodes of hypoglycemia can lower the threshold at which these symptoms
occur, leading to "hypoglycemia unawareness" and increasing the risk for subsequent
severe hypoglycemia. (See 'Hypoglycemia unawareness' above.)
MANAGEMENT
monitoring or CGM is important. (See 'Management' above and "Insulin therapy for children
and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus", section on 'Blood glucose monitoring'.)
• For infants and very young children, symptoms of hypoglycemia include poor
feeding, lethargy, jitteriness, and hypotonia; these symptoms may appear over a
range of blood glucose concentrations. Young children are unable to communicate
symptoms to caregivers and may not have the same adrenergic signs as older
children. Thus, caregivers need to be trained to recognize and treat nonspecific
symptoms associated with hypoglycemia in this age group. (See 'Definitions and
pathophysiology' above.)
Mild and moderate hypoglycemia — Patients with mild and moderate hypoglycemia (blood
glucose <70 mg/dL [3.9 mmol/L] and/or adrenergic and neuroglycopenic symptoms
described above) should be treated orally with a concentrated and rapidly absorbed simple
carbohydrate food source (10 to 15 g glucose). Options include:
Glucose and sucrose (which is rapidly broken down to glucose and fructose) are more
effective than fructose alone in treating hypoglycemia [66]. These simple carbohydrates
rapidly raise the blood glucose concentration. A weight-based dose (0.3 to 0.6 g/kg) may also
be used, depending on the blood glucose level; one study reported that this was a more
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effective strategy to treat symptomatic hypoglycemia in children and adults compared with
non-weight-based dosing of glucose [67].
In children who use an insulin pump to deliver insulin and/or use a CGM device, this
treatment is usually sufficient. By contrast, in children receiving a fixed dose of insulin, it may
be necessary to follow this treatment with a snack that contains a carbohydrate, protein, and
fat in order to sustain blood glucose levels, such as a peanut butter sandwich or a bagel with
cream cheese or other fat and protein. Blood glucose should be checked again in 15 to 20
minutes to confirm that glucose values have normalized and to determine whether further
intervention is necessary. The patient may need to eat additional carbohydrates until blood
glucose concentrations are sustained above 100 mg/dL (5.6 mmol/L). Children managed with
an insulin pump or a hybrid closed-loop system rarely require an extra snack; indeed,
ingesting more carbohydrate than necessary to treat the hypoglycemia often leads to
rebound hyperglycemia.
In patients with poor oral intake during gastroenteritis or other illnesses, minidose glucagon
has been used effectively to prevent impending hypoglycemia or to treat mild hypoglycemia
at home.
A second dose (at double the initial dose) is given if blood glucose does not increase in 30
minutes [68,69].
Severe hypoglycemia — Patients with severe neurologic symptoms who are unable to take
oral therapy require intervention with glucagon and/or IV dextrose.
Glucagon — Patients with significant neurologic impairment and/or who are unable to take
oral glucose require urgent treatment with glucagon. Every person with T1DM should have a
glucagon kit readily available at all times. (See 'Preparation for hypoglycemic episodes'
above.)
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These doses of glucagon are usually sufficient to increase blood glucose within a few
minutes. The glucagon dose must be followed by oral intake of concentrated
carbohydrates immediately upon awakening from the confused state. This is because
both severe hypoglycemia and glucagon may cause nausea and vomiting within 45
minutes to an hour.
The use of intranasal glucagon in children and adolescents is supported by results from
a randomized trial and an observational study under "real-world" conditions [70,71].
The time course of the glycemic response is similar to that for intramuscularly
administered glucagon. Data on intranasal glucagon in adults are discussed separately.
(See "Hypoglycemia in adults with diabetes mellitus", section on 'Without IV access'.)
● Stable liquid glucagon – A stable premixed liquid form of glucagon is available in the
following doses:
• 2 to 12 years – 0.5 mg
• ≥12 years – 1 mg
This stable liquid form is available as an autoinjector or prefilled syringe (Gvoke), which
is approved in the United States for individuals two years and older [73]. It does not
require refrigeration, and the medication is administered subcutaneously.
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Dosing is 0.25 g/kg (maximum single dose 25 g). This is supplied by:
An IV infusion sufficient to maintain glucose can be started if the child is still unable to take
orally. An infusion of 10% glucose at a maintenance rate may be required and can be titrated
up or down based upon the blood glucose, which should be checked every 30 minutes
initially. Electrolytes should be included in the IV fluids if the infusion is prolonged (eg, one
hour or more).
Links to society and government-sponsored guidelines from selected countries and regions
around the world are provided separately. (See "Society guideline links: Diabetes mellitus in
children" and "Society guideline links: Hypoglycemia in infants and children".)
UpToDate offers two types of patient education materials, "The Basics" and "Beyond the
Basics." The Basics patient education pieces are written in plain language, at the 5th to 6th
grade reading level, and they answer the four or five key questions a patient might have
about a given condition. These articles are best for patients who want a general overview
and who prefer short, easy-to-read materials. Beyond the Basics patient education pieces are
longer, more sophisticated, and more detailed. These articles are written at the 10th to 12th
grade reading level and are best for patients who want in-depth information and are
comfortable with some medical jargon.
Here are the patient education articles that are relevant to this topic. We encourage you to
print or e-mail these topics to your patients. (You can also locate patient education articles
on a variety of subjects by searching on "patient info" and the keyword(s) of interest.)
● Basics topics (see "Patient education: Type 1 diabetes (The Basics)" and "Patient
education: My child has diabetes: How will we manage? (The Basics)" and "Patient
education: Managing blood sugar in children with diabetes (The Basics)" and "Patient
education: Carb counting for children with diabetes (The Basics)" and "Patient
education: Managing diabetes in school (The Basics)" and "Patient education: Giving
your child insulin (The Basics)" and "Patient education: Checking your child's blood
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sugar level (The Basics)" and "Patient education: Should I switch to an insulin pump?
(The Basics)")
● Beyond the basics topics (see "Patient education: Type 1 diabetes: Overview (Beyond
the Basics)")
● Risk factors – Risk factors for hypoglycemia in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus
(T1DM) include younger age, a split-mixed insulin regimen with a fixed daily insulin
schedule, increased vigorous activity (exercise), alcohol ingestion, acute illnesses, and
depression. (See 'Risk factors' above.)
• Good glycemic control using modern methods for insulin administration, insulin
analogs, and frequent blood glucose monitoring (including continuous glucose
monitoring [CGM]) does not increase the risk for hypoglycemia or long-term
cognitive sequelae. However, severe or repeated episodes of hypoglycemia may
have deleterious effects on brain development and learning, particularly in young
children, and should be avoided. (See 'Neurologic sequelae' above.)
• Important precautions for all individuals with T1DM include having ready access to a
concentrated and rapidly absorbed simple carbohydrate food source, having a
glucagon kit at home and wherever they spend time, and wearing a medical alert
that identifies them as having T1DM. (See 'Preparation for hypoglycemic episodes'
above.)
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● Management of hypoglycemia
• Patients who can take oral therapy – Patients with mild and moderate neurologic
symptoms should be treated promptly with a concentrated and rapidly absorbed
simple carbohydrate food source, such as fruit juice, glucose tablets, Skittles candy,
or cake frosting. In children who use an insulin pump and/or a CGM device, this
treatment is usually sufficient. However, children on a fixed-dose insulin regimen
may require an additional longer-lasting snack containing carbohydrate, fat, and
protein in order to sustain a normal blood glucose level. Blood glucose should be
checked again in 15 to 20 minutes to confirm that glucose values have normalized
and to determine whether further intervention is necessary. (See 'Mild and
moderate hypoglycemia' above.)
• Patients who cannot take oral therapy – Patients with severe neurologic
impairment require prompt treatment with glucagon or IV dextrose (see 'Severe
hypoglycemia' above):
- For standard (lyophilized) glucagon, give 0.02 to 0.03 mg/kg (maximum dose 1
mg). Different doses are used for other formulations of glucagon (stable liquid
form [fixed-dose], intranasal, or a soluble liquid analog [dasiglucagon]). (See
'Glucagon' above.)
- For IV dextrose, give 2.5 mL/kg of 10% dextrose solution or 1 mL/kg of 25%
dextrose solution (both are equivalent to 0.25 g/kg; maximum single dose 25 g).
(See 'Intravenous dextrose' above.)
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with type 1 diabetes. J Pediatr 2010; 156:109.
60. Shehata G, Eltayeb A. Cognitive function and event-related potentials in children with
type 1 diabetes mellitus. J Child Neurol 2010; 25:469.
61. Kaufman FR, Austin J, Neinstein A, et al. Nocturnal hypoglycemia detected with the
Continuous Glucose Monitoring System in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes. J
Pediatr 2002; 141:625.
62. Beregszàszi M, Tubiana-Rufi N, Benali K, et al. Nocturnal hypoglycemia in children and
adolescents with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus: prevalence and risk factors. J
Pediatr 1997; 131:27.
63. Benkhadra K, Alahdab F, Tamhane SU, et al. Continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion
versus multiple daily injections in individuals with type 1 diabetes: a systematic review
and meta-analysis. Endocrine 2017; 55:77.
64. Jones TW, Porter P, Sherwin RS, et al. Decreased epinephrine responses to hypoglycemia
during sleep. N Engl J Med 1998; 338:1657.
65. DeRosa MA, Cryer PE. Hypoglycemia and the sympathoadrenal system: neurogenic
symptoms are largely the result of sympathetic neural, rather than adrenomedullary,
activation. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 2004; 287:E32.
66. Husband AC, Crawford S, McCoy LA, Pacaud D. The effectiveness of glucose, sucrose,
and fructose in treating hypoglycemia in children with type 1 diabetes. Pediatr Diabetes
2010; 11:154.
67. McTavish L, Corley B, Weatherall M, et al. Weight-based carbohydrate treatment of
hypoglycaemia in people with Type 1 diabetes using insulin pump therapy: a
randomized crossover clinical trial. Diabet Med 2018; 35:339.
68. Haymond MW, Schreiner B. Mini-dose glucagon rescue for hypoglycemia in children
with type 1 diabetes. Diabetes Care 2001; 24:643.
69. Hartley M, Thomsett MJ, Cotterill AM. Mini-dose glucagon rescue for mild hypoglycaemia
in children with type 1 diabetes: the Brisbane experience. J Paediatr Child Health 2006;
42:108.
70. Sherr JL, Ruedy KJ, Foster NC, et al. Glucagon Nasal Powder: A Promising Alternative to
Intramuscular Glucagon in Youth With Type 1 Diabetes. Diabetes Care 2016; 39:555.
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71. Deeb LC, Dulude H, Guzman CB, et al. A phase 3 multicenter, open-label, prospective
study designed to evaluate the effectiveness and ease of use of nasal glucagon in the
treatment of moderate and severe hypoglycemia in children and adolescents with type 1
diabetes in the home or school setting. Pediatr Diabetes 2018; 19:1007.
72. Battelino T, Tehranchi R, Bailey T, et al. Dasiglucagon, a next-generation ready-to-use
glucagon analog, for treatment of severe hypoglycemia in children and adolescents with
type 1 diabetes: Results of a phase 3, randomized controlled trial. Pediatr Diabetes 2021;
22:734.
73. Manufacturer's prescibing information for GVOKE, 8/2021. Available at: https://www-acc
essdata-fda-gov.bibliotecavirtual.udla.edu.ec/drugsatfda_docs/label/2021/212097s007lb
l.pdf (Accessed on August 23, 2021).
Topic 97229 Version 22.0
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GRAPHICS
Ultra-rapid-acting
Rapid-acting
Short-acting
Intermediate-acting
Basal long-acting
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The numbers indicated above are approximations and are influenced by many factors including (but
not limited to) presence and type of antibodies to the specific insulin, site of injection, and mass action
effect. Premixed insulins are not generally recommended but are sometimes useful to reduce the
number of injections in selected patients; mixes consist of NPH and regular (70:30 mix) or NPH and
Lispro (75:25 mix), as well as other concentrations. Other new insulins are presently in clinical trials.
No inhaled insulin preparation is currently available, but both orally absorbed and inhaled insulin
preparations are being developed.
* Certain biosimilar insulins for lispro, aspart, and glargine are approved for children in some
countries, including the United States, Canada, and Europe. The US Food and Drug Administration
uses the term "similar" rather than "biosimilar" for technical reasons [2] .
References:
1. Cengiz E, Danne T, Ahmad T, et al. ISPAD Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines 2022: Insulin treatment in children and
adolescents with diabetes. Pediatr Diabetes 2022; 23:1277.
2. In brief: Another insulin lispro (Admelog) for diabetes. Med Lett Drugs Ther 2018; 60:e109.
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Twice-daily administration of regular (solid lines) and intermediate-acting lente or NPH (dashed lines)
insulins before breakfast and the evening meal provides peaks of insulin after the injections as well as
a relatively constant baseline level of insulin throughout the day after injections of the intermediate-
acting insulins.
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Initiate Repeat at
Evaluation Purpose Abnormal result
screening least
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Hypertension [1] : I
<13 years – BP
≥95 th percentile
for age, sex, and
height
≥13 years – BP
≥130/80 mmHg
(measured on 3 A
occasions)
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a
(
t
Lipid profile Screen for At diagnosis If initial LDL LDL ≥100 mg/dL.
dyslipidemia. of diabetes, ≤100, initiate
once initial serial testing at o
glycemic age 9 to 11 c
control is years and a
achieved and repeat every 3 d
age ≥2 years if normal. (
years ◊ . Repeat a
annually if LDL (
If sample was
is abnormal or c
nonfasting
if glycemic
(random) and
control is poor.
results
abnormal, LDL ≥130 to 159
confirm with mg/dL.
a fasting lipid (
panel. c
i
f
(
s
a
c
(
c
y
s
a
c
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tTG, IgA Screen for celiac At diagnosis Repeat within 2 Positive results of
disease. of diabetes. years of antibody test. w
diagnosis, then e
after 5 years,
or if g
gastrointestinal
symptoms
develop, and
more
frequently if a
first-degree
relative has
celiac disease § .
This table reflects recommendations for routine monitoring of children and adolescents with type 1
diabetes, as outlined by the ADA [1] .
BP: blood pressure; SBP: systolic blood pressure; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; ACE: angiotensin-
converting enzyme; ARB: angiotensin receptor blocker; A1C: hemoglobin A1c (glycated hemoglobin);
LDL: low-density lipoprotein; CVD: cardiovascular disease; TSH: thyroid-stimulating hormone; tTG:
tissue transglutaminase; IgA: immunoglobulin A; ADA: American Diabetes Association; TPO: thyroid
peroxidase.
* ACE inhibitors (eg, lisinopril or enalapril) and ARBs have teratogenic potential, so appropriate
reproductive counseling should be given to young women. Aim for BP consistently <90 th percentile
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Δ More or less stringent goals may be appropriate for individual patients, depending on their
personal history of severe hyperglycemia, severe hypoglycemia, and hypoglycemia unawareness.
◊ Glycemic control should be established before performing the lipid profile or thyroid screening. The
ADA suggests that antibodies to TPO and thyroglobulin should be measured at diagnosis.
§ More frequent screening for celiac disease may be appropriate for children who have a first-degree
relative with celiac disease. Measurement of tTg is sufficient if IgA is normal. Antibody testing is only
valid if performed on a gluten-containing diet.
References:
1. American Diabetes Association Professional Practice Committee, Draznin B, Aroda VR, et al. 14. Children and
Adolescents: Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes-2022. Diabetes Care 2022; 45:S208.
2. Flynn JT, Kaelber DC, Baker-Smith CM, et al. Clinical Practice Guideline for Screening and Management of High Blood
Pressure in Children and Adolescents. Pediatrics 2017; 140.
3. Bjornstad P, Dart A, Donaghue KC, et al. ISPAD Clinical Practice Consensus Guidelines 2022: Microvascular and
macrovascular complications in children and adolescents with diabetes. Pediatr Diabetes 2022; 23:1432.
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