Background: Hypoglycemia is the most common and serious side effect of glucose-lowering medications and considered the rate-limiting side effect in achieving tight glycemic control in Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Diabetes-related hypoglycemia has both short-term and long-term complications. Moreover, hypoglycemia episodes, especially the severe ones, lead to a considerable increase in both direct and indirect medical care costs

Objectives: Primary objective: Study the knowledge about hypoglycemia among type 2 diabetic patients attending the diabetes centre clinics, F & CM Department at SFH, Riyadh.

Secondary objectives: To assess the most common causes, symptoms and prevalence of hypoglycemia among type 2 diabetes patients in SFH.

Methods: Cross-sectional study among Type 2 diabetic patients visiting the diabetes centre clinics at SFH in 2017

Results: Of 386 participants, 237 participants (61.4%) had good knowledge of hypoglycemia, but only 149 participants (38.6%) had poor knowledge. The mean age, weight and height of participants were 53.7±13.5 years, 80±27.2 Kg and 158± 21 cm. According to participants' opinion about the most common cause of hypoglycemia is exertion (68.7%) and most common symptom of hypoglycemia is dizziness (74.6%).239 (61.9%) experienced a hypoglycemic event in the last three months; and, the majority of them, 126 (52.7%) had less than three times attacks of hypoglycemia, and only 107 (27.7%) had no previous hypoglycemia in the last three months.

Conclusion: Participants had good knowledge about hypoglycemia and its preventive method. However, increasing incidence of hypoglycemic events needs more diabetes education programs to apply their knowledge on a daily routine.

Keywords: Diabetes, hypoglycemia, type 2, symptoms, prevalence.

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Naif Mohammed Albaqami

Family Medicine Resident