‘Too much fasting can cause hypoglycemia’

Nagpur: Intermittent fasting is trending these days for weight loss. However, doctors who treat diabetes and hormonal issues are coming across cases of sudden low sugar in non-diabetic patients who fast for unusually longer durations.

“Hypoglycemia is the condition when blood sugar levels are too low. It happens commonly with the people living with diabetes. But, non-diabetic hypoglycemia is a rare condition, in which low blood glucose is observed in people who do not have diabetes,” said endocrinologist and diabetologist from Pune Dr Uday Phadke.

Dr Phadke delivered Late Dr Rajeev and Dr Sanjay Warhadpande oration organised by Diabetic Association of India’s (DAI) Nagpur chapter and Academy of Medical Sciences (AMS) Nagpur.

Dr Phadke spoke on ‘Spectrum of hypoglycemia in non-diabtics’ and also shared some interesting points on weight, and diabetes.

“Feeling hungry, shaky, sleepy, anxious, dizzy, confused, nervous, sweaty or irritable can be some of the symptoms of hypoglycemia. Instead of going for self-medication or self sugar tests, talk to doctor if you have any of these symptoms, even if you have only one episode,” said Dr Phadke.

Additionally, Dr Phadke discussed the ‘Thin Fat Indian Prototype’, which refers to the observation that South Asians are at increased risk of developing diabetes despite having a lower body mass index (BMI) than individuals from other ethnic groups. “This is due to higher levels of visceral fat, the fat that surrounds the organs in the abdominal cavity,” he said.

City’s endocrinologist Dr Himanshu Patil, who is also a secretary of DAI Nagpur, focused on the benefits and potential of oral semaglutide in the treatment of diabetes and weight management. “Oral semaglutide offers a novel approach, as it can be taken in tablet form, making it more convenient and accessible for patients,” Dr Patil said, discussing the results of several clinical trials, which showed that oral semaglutide was effective in reducing HbA1c levels and promoting weight loss in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Dr Patil also highlighted the potential of oral semaglutide in diabetes and obesity, which together contribute to poor health. He emphasised the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in diabetes management, including lifestyle modifications and medicines.

An open forum for the common people was also organized in the afternoon session. People from different walks of life asked their queries about diabetes and experts Dr Uday Phadke, Dr Prashant Govardhan, Dr Shankar Khobragade and Dr Pramod Gandhi answered them.