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CompletedNCT02205996Updated Aug 1, 2014

The Effects of Hypoglycaemia in People With Type 2 Diabetes

An interventional study of Insulin (Humulin S) and Euglycaemic Hypoglycaemic Insulin clamp in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, sponsored by University of Hull. Completed at 1 site in United Kingdom. Open to participants aged 40 Years to 60 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2014-08-01.

Sponsored by University of Hull · Not applicable, Interventional, and Diagnostic

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
18
Allocation
Non-randomized
Ages
40 Years to 60 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Strict glycaemic control has been associated with increased hypoglycaemia and mortality rate, the cause of which was unclear, in subjects with type 2 diabetes. In this study, we hypothesised that acute hypoglycaemia will result in platelet activation in people with type 2 diabetes to a higher degree than controls.

Read the detailed description

Type 2 diabetes is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Although the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) follow-up data suggested reduced macrovascular complications with tight glycaemic control, recent studies in people with type 2 diabetes failed to replicate these findings. Furthermore, all-cause mortality was found to be increased with strict glycaemic control in the Action to Control Cardiovascular Risk in Diabetes (ACCORD) study. The cause of the increased deaths remains unclear.

Strict glycaemic control is associated with increased risk of hypoglycaemia. Although, hypoglycaemia has traditionally been considered a complication of the treatment for type 1 diabetes, it has recently been recognised as a problem in people with type 2 diabetes particularly those on insulin therapy. In the ACCORD study, the risk of death was significantly increased in those with one or more episode of severe hypoglycaemia in both the strict and standard study treatment arms. As plasma glucose falls to below 4.0 mmol/L, a series of defence mechanisms occur, at an individualised glycaemic thresholds, to reverse hypoglycaemia including a rise in catecholamine levels. This may lead to hypokalaemia, prolonged QT interval, and cardiac arrhythmias. It may also lead to impaired cardiovascular autonomic function for up to 16 hours afterwards; increased inflammatory markers; platelet activation and promote vascular damage. As the majority of studies assessing the effects of hypoglycaemia on cardiovascular risk markers are conducted in people with type 1 diabetes and healthy controls, their findings may not necessarily be applicable to people with type 2 diabetes. In particular, the effects of hypoglycaemia on platelet function and thrombotic risk in people with type 2 diabetes require further clarification. In this study, we hypothesised that acute hypoglycaemia will result in platelet activation in people with type 2 diabetes to a higher degree than controls.

02

Conditions studied

  • Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Keywords

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Hypoglycaemia
  • Platelets
  • Inflammation
03

In context

Diabetes Mellitus

10,923 studies on the registry are indexed under Diabetes Mellitus; 1,318 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 18 is below the median of 80 across 8,367 interventional studies indexed under Diabetes Mellitus.

Browse Diabetes Mellitus studies →

Lead sponsor

University of Hull is the lead sponsor of 33 studies on the registry; 6 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
40 Years to 60 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  1. Healthy volunteers:

    • Males or females
    • On no medications except for the contraceptive pill and without medical illnesses in the last three months.
    • Non-smokers
    • 40 - 60 years of age.
  2. T2DM subjects:

    • Males or females
    • Diagnosis of T2DM
    • 40 - 60 years of age
    • HbA1C: 6.5 - 9.5%
    • Duration of diabetes 1 - 10 years
    • Diabetes treated with diet, or tablets only.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Healthy volunteers:

    • Pregnancy
    • Lack of contraception in women of child bearing age
    • Chronic medical conditions
    • Current smokers
    • Evidence of ischaemia on ECG
    • Drop attacks
    • Alcohol or drug abuse
    • Psychiatric illness
    • Previous history of seizure
    • Alcohol or drug abuse
  2. Type 2 diabetes subjects:

    • Pregnancy
    • Current smokers
    • Recurrent episodes of hypoglycaemia
    • Treatment with anti-platelet or anti-coagulation therapy
    • History of ischaemic heart disease, stroke or peripheral vascular disease
    • Epilepsy
    • Drop attacks
    • Evidence of ischaemia on ECG
    • Insulin treated T2DM
    • History of microvascular disease (retinopathy, nephropathy or neuropathy).
    • Alcohol or drug abuse
    • Psychiatric illness
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Diagnostic
Allocation
Non-randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
None (open label)
Enrollment
18 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Controls

    Weight-matched healthy controls. Euglycaemic Hypoglycaemic insulin clamp. Using hyperinsulinaemic clamps, blood glucose levels were stabilised over 1 hour to reach 5 mmol/L and maintained at that level for 1 hour, then gradually reduced over 1 hour to 2.8 mmol/L and maintained at that level for 1 hour. Blood samples were collected at times 0 (baseline), 2 hours (euglycaemia), 4 hours (hypoglycaemia) and at 24 hours after the clamp studies.

    Drug: Insulin (Humulin S) · Device: Euglycaemic Hypoglycaemic Insulin clamp

  • Active comparator
    Type 2 diabetes

    People with a known diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Euglycaemic Hypoglycaemic Insulin clamp. Using hyperinsulinaemic clamps, blood glucose levels were stabilised over 1 hour to reach 5 mmol/L and maintained at that level for 1 hour, then gradually reduced over 1 hour to 2.8 mmol/L and maintained at that level for 1 hour. Blood samples were collected at times 0 (baseline), 2 hours (euglycaemia), 4 hours (hypoglycaemia) and at 24 hours after the clamp studies.

    Drug: Insulin (Humulin S) · Device: Euglycaemic Hypoglycaemic Insulin clamp

Interventions

  • DrugInsulin (Humulin S)

    Using insulin and glucose infusions (hyperinsulinaemic clamps), blood glucose levels were stabilised over 1 hour to reach 5 mmol/L and maintained at that level for 1 hour, then gradually reduced over 1 hour to 2.8 mmol/L and maintained at that level for 1 hour. Blood samples were collected at times 0 (baseline), 2 hours (euglycaemia), 4 hours (hypoglycaemia) and at 24 hours after the clamp studies.

    Also known as: Glucose (20% Dextrose).

  • DeviceEuglycaemic Hypoglycaemic Insulin clamp
06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. To examine the effect of hypoglycaemia on platelet surface expression of platelet activation markers P-selectin and fibrinogen binding.

    Platelet surface expression of activation markers, P-selectin and fibrinogen binding, were measured in the resting state (unstimulated samples) and in response to stimulation with platelet agonist adenosine diphosphate, and platelet inhibitor prostacyclin. A change in platelet function from times 0 (baseline), to 2 hours (euglycaemia), 4 hours (hypoglycaemia) and 24 hours after the clamp studies was measured and compared between the two groups.

    Time frame: Up to 24 hours after euglycaemic hypoglycaemic clamp

Secondary outcomes

  1. To measure changes in markers of inflammation (high sensitivity C-reactive protein) and endothelial function using EndoPat 2000

    High sensitivity C-reactive protein was measured at baseline (time 0), 2 hours (euglycaemia), 4 hours (hypoglycaemia) and 24 hours after clamp studies. Changes from baseline were compared between the groups. EndoPat was measured before the insulin clamp and 24 hours afterwards and changes were compared between the two groups.

    Time frame: Up to 24h after euglycaemic hypoglycaemic clamp

Other outcomes

  1. To assess the effects of hypoglycaemia on participants scores on cognitive function tests

    Three cognitive function tests (Tower of Hanoi; Dual Task test and The Digit symbol-coding) were measured at baseline (time 0), 2 hours (euglycaemia), 4 hours (hypoglycaemia) and 24 hours after insulin clamp studies. Changes from baseline in each of these tests in response to the insulin clamp were compared between the two groups.

    Time frame: Up to 24h after euglycaemic hypoglycaemic clamp

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Hull Royal Infirmary
    Hull, HU3 2RW, United Kingdom
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Moin ASM, Sathyapalan T, Atkin SL, Butler AE. The severity and duration of Hypoglycemia affect platelet-derived protein responses in Caucasians. Cardiovasc Diabetol. 2022 Oct 6;21(1):202. doi: 10.1186/s12933-022-01639-w. PubMed 36203210 ↗
  • Moin ASM, Nandakumar M, Kahal H, Sathyapalan T, Atkin SL, Butler AE. Heat Shock-Related Protein Responses and Inflammatory Protein Changes Are Associated with Mild Prolonged Hypoglycemia. Cells. 2021 Nov 10;10(11):3109. doi: 10.3390/cells10113109. PubMed 34831332 ↗
  • Moin ASM, Kahal H, Al-Qaissi A, Kumar N, Sathyapalan T, Atkin SL, Butler AE. Amyloid-related protein changes associated with dementia differ according to severity of hypoglycemia. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2021 Apr;9(1):e002211. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2021-002211. PubMed 33931404 ↗
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Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Aug 1, 2014, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT02205996
Lead sponsor
University of Hull
Collaborators
Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
Responsible party
Thozhukat Sathyapalan (Dr, University of Hull) — Principal investigator
First posted
Aug 1, 2014
Start date
Nov 2011
Primary completion
May 2013
Completion
May 2013
Last update
Aug 1, 2014

Study contacts

Stephen L Atkin, PhD
principal investigator · Hull York Medical School

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Jul 2014. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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