Hypoglycemia: Implications and Suggestions for Research

This review paper attempts to summarize the available information on the relationship between hypoglycemia and a variety of social and emotional disorders. It is pointed out that much of the information relating hypoglycemia and emotional and social disorders comes from observations made by practitioners. These practitioners have observed that individuals with hypoglycemia have exhibited a variety of maladaptive behaviors including such behaviors as amnesia, chronic fatigue, schizophrenia, and aggression. These relationships exist only at the level of description and need to be verified. Additionally the review illustrates a need for a more accurate definition of the disorder currently labeled hypoglycemia. Finally, the review calls for new avenues of research into the etiology of what is now labeled hypoglycemia. In 1973 the American Diabetes Association, the Endocrine Society and the American 'Psychology Department Texas A & M University College Station, Texas, 77843 Medical Association published a statement in the Annals of Internal Medicine concerning the diagnosis and treatment of hypoglycemia. This statement, which was to be released to the public during the same year, included a condensed definition, symptoms, diagnostic procedures, possible causes, and typical treatment of hypoglycemia. Also included was a statement that "there is no good evidence that hypoglycemia causes depression, chronic fatigue, allergies, nervous breakdowns, alcoholism, juvenile delinquency, childhood behavior problems, drug addiction or inadequate sexual performance" (1973). The impetus for this statement seems to have arisen from the fact that authors of popular books (Ab-rahamson and Pezel, 1951; Airola, 1977; Brennan, 1975; Cheraskin, Ringsdorf and Brecher, 1974) had made such a cause and effect relationship and the general public believed this causal relationship and attributed many of their symptoms to this disorder. Not infrequently, physicians have treated patients as hypoglycemic which has led to even further widespread belief of the ubiquitous nature of this disorder (Yager and Young, 1974). Although the American Diabetes Association, the Endocrine Society and the American