Severe hypoglycemia is a serious complication of type1 diabetes feared by many who have the disease. The aim of this study was to investigate specific fears related to hypoglycemia in adults with type 1 diabetes and to investigate how aspects of fear of hypoglycemia may differ between genders. A cross-sectional study with questionnaires sent to 636 patients with type 1 diabetes, aged 18-75 years, who attended the outpatient clinic at St. Olavs Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. Fears related to hypoglycemia were assessed using the Hypoglycemia Fear Survey II Worry subscale (HFS-II-Worry). The response rate was 70% (N = 445, 216 women and 229 men). The mean HFS-II-Worry score was higher in women than in men (2.46 [SD = 0.80] vs. 2.22 [SD = 0.74], respectively; p < .001). Women scored higher than men in all items in the HFS-II-Worry, and women's average scores were statistically significantly higher in 5 of the 18 items after correction for multiple comparisons. The largest gender differences in mean scores occurred in the items "low blood glucose interfering with important things," "becoming upset and difficult," "difficulty thinking clearly," and "feeling lightheaded or dizzy." In both women and men, the highest mean scores appeared in the worry items "become hypoglycemic while sleeping" and "not having food available." In this sample of Norwegian adults with type 1 diabetes, women expressed more concerns about hypoglycemia than men. The highest HFS-II-Worry scores occurred in the same items in women and men, but the largest gender differences in mean scores appeared across a variety of other items, some of which were related to social esteem.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in Norway and adherence to the Norwegian Guidelines for screening for diabetic eye disease. Two hundred and ninety-nine people with diabetes were randomly recruited from the patient lists of randomly selected general practitioners from three different regions in Norway. Retinopathy was evaluated from retinal photographs after dilation of the pupils using a red-free digital camera and visual acuity was measured using the Snellen chart. The patients were interviewed about their ophthalmological and general diabetes control, duration and type of diabetes and medical treatment. The prevalence of any DR was 28%, 66% for type 1 and 24% for type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of proliferative retinopathy was 38% in type 1 and 1.5% in type 2 diabetes. Two patients (one type 1 and one insulin-treated type 2) were visually impaired (visual acuity 0.3 or worse in the better eye) because of proliferative DR. Twenty-six per cent of the patients had never been to an eye examination, and only 69% attended routine eye examinations. Patients who did not attend regular eye screenings were mostly people with type 2 diabetes. The prevalence of DR was higher than previously reported in Norway. Screening for DR did not follow guidelines in a considerable proportion of the patients with type 2 diabetes. There is place for improvement in the implementation of guidelines for screening for DR for people with type 2 diabetes in Norway.

We compared sorbitol given alone and as part of a mixed meal to nine insulin-dependent diabetics (IDD's) during continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). Blood glucose, sorbitol and breath hydrogen + methane were measured following six test meals: Pure glucose, sorbitol and lactulose, a mixed meal alone, and sweetened with sorbitol and sucrose. Blood glucose increase was very small after lactulose and sorbitol, significantly larger after glucose. A considerable increase in breath hydrogen + methane appeared after sorbitol and lactulose, but not after glucose. No differences in blood glucose responses were found after the mixed meal alone or sweetened with sorbitol and sucrose. A sustained low level increase in breath hydrogen + methane occurred after all solid meals. Sorbitol was not detected in serum after any meal. Sorbitol ingested by IDD's during CSII in watery solution is not absorbed in the small intestine and causes osmotic diarrhoea. Ingested in a composite meal it does not affect blood glucose and does not cause osmotic diarrhoea.