At a Glance Rebound hypoglycemia was first described in 1959 by Dr. Michael Somogyi, which is how it came to be called the Somogyi phenomenon. His hypothesis was that, in patients with diabetes, hyperglycemia sometimes occurs as a result of an exaggerated hormonal response to hypoglycemia. In particular, the hypothesis sought to explain the observation…
At a Glance Sometimes, you get a low (or even critically low) glucose test result back that just doesn’t make sense. The patient has no history of diabetes, is taking no hypoglycemic agents, and has absolutely no symptoms suggestive of hypoglycemia during the office visit. You wonder, “Could the lab test just be wrong?” What…
At a Glance Chances are that roughly 50% of patients suffer from primary, nongenetic hyperlipoproteinemia. This is because unhealthy cholesterol levels (≥200 mg/dL) are common in the United States. Unlike most lab values, the thresholds used for cholesterol are “decision limits,” rather than typical reference intervals (normal ranges). Typical reference intervals encompass the central 95%…
At a Glance Genuine hypoglycemia in adults is a diagnosis that requires establishing Whipple’s Triad: clinical symptoms consistent with hypoglycemia (i.e., anxiety, palpitations, tremor) low blood glucose value (typically <55 mg/dL) relief of symptoms with administration of glucoseContinue Reading In particular, it is important not to make this diagnosis based solely on a low blood…
