What is Brittle Diabetes?
Note: This article is part of our library of resources for Forms of Diabetes.
What is Brittle Diabetes?
Brittle diabetes is a rare form of insulin-dependent diabetes and is marked by frequent and severe episodes of hypoglycemia and/or hyperglycemia, diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). This instability of blood sugar levels often leads to hospitalization and necessitates frequent self-monitoring of blood glucose, the use of an insulin pump and a continuous glucose monitoring device (CGM). In rare cases, a pancreas transplant may be necessary.
What causes Brittle diabetes?
There can be many causes of Brittle diabetes, but here are some of the most frequent ones (NIH):
- Emotional stress
- Hormonal imbalance
- Poor personal care
- Malabsorption (when your small intestine cannot absorb nutrients from foods)
- Autonomic neuropathy complications (such as delayed gastric emptying)
- Celiac disease
- Hypothyroidism
- Adrenal insufficiency
- systemic insulin resistance
- abnormal insulin absorption
- Impaired glucose counter-regulation (the patient’s body doesn’t react predictably when blood glucose levels drop)
- Drug or alcohol use
Who does it affect?
Brittle diabetes primarily affects those with type 1 diabetes and is most common in women in their 20s and 30s, but can occur in men as well and at any age. It affects 3/1000 insulin-dependent individuals (NCBI).
