Low blood sugar is also called hypoglycemia. Usually, it is mild and can be treated quickly
and easily by eating or drinking a small amount of a sugar-rich food. If low blood sugar is
left untreated, it can get worse and cause confusion, clumsiness or fainting. Severe
hypoglycemia can lead to seizures, coma, and even death.
Some people with diabetes do not have early warning signs of low blood sugar. This condition
is called hypoglycemia unawareness. It happens when the body stops reacting to low blood
sugar levels and the person does not realize that they need to treat their hypoglycemia. This
can lead to more severe and dangerous hypoglycemia.
The purpose of this early study is to see if a drug called naltrexone should be studied more
in people with Type I diabetes and hypoglycemia unawareness. This study will show whether
naltrexone could reduce hypoglycemia unawareness. The study will also show, by using magnetic
resonance imaging (also called MRI), whether naltrexone changes the way blood flows in the
brain when a person is experiencing hypoglycemia.
Phase:
Phase 1/Phase 2
Details
Lead Sponsor:
University of Minnesota University of Minnesota - Clinical and Translational Science Institute
Collaborators:
American Diabetes Association National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)