Hypoglycemia in the emergency, is there any effect on endothelial and diastolic functions?

Several homeostatic changes like an increase in sympathoadrenal response and oxidative stress occur in hypoglycemia. As a result of these findings, an increase in inflammation and preatherogenic factors is observed, and these changes may lead to endothelial dysfunction. Aim Our study aims to reveal possible cardiac risks (systolic‐diastolic functions and endothelial dysfunctions) in patients who have applied to the emergency department with hypoglycemia. Methods This cross‐sectional, case–control study included 46 hypoglycemia patients who admitted to the emergency with symptoms compatible with hypoglycemia and diagnosed with hypoglycemia and 30 healthy volunteers. All patients were evaluated with baseline echocardiography, tissue‐Doppler imaging (carotid and brachial artery). Also, the fasting blood tests of the patients referred to the internal medicine department were examined. Results There were no differences between the groups regarding age, weight, body mass index, and systolic blood pressure. Total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, Vitamin B12, TSH, and fasting blood glucose levels were similar in the groups' blood tests (all P values > .05) . We observed a statistically significant decrease in diastolic dysfunction parameters: E/A and E/e' ratios (respectively, P = .020 and 0.026) . It was shown that insulin resistance was influential in forming these considerable differences. The patient group observed that the carotid intima–media thickness was more remarkable (P = .001) , and the brachial flow‐mediated dilatation value was smaller (P = .003) , giving an idea about endothelial functions. Conclusion As a message, we can say that hypoglycemia may affect diastolic functions in addition to endothelial dysfunction. Therefore, even young individuals without any chronic diseases may need follow‐up in terms of possible risks.