JDRF takes steps to stop lows

Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, can be one of the scariest parts of managing type 1 diabetes (T1D). Videos like “The Deal with Lows” show that despite terrific advances in T1D treatment, ‘fear of the low’ still looms large in our community. It’s high time we put that fear to rest.

That’s why JDRF and The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust convened a panel of experts last month to discuss research and development initiatives that could accelerate the delivery of new therapies to minimize hypoglycemia. They outlined several areas of focus:

• Identifying markers of hypoglycemia risk and using them to design clinical trials of potential hypoglycemia therapies
• Educating stakeholders in research, regulatory review and healthcare reimbursement about the impact of hypoglycemia
• Ensuring that measures like hypoglycemia are included among the outcomes used to evaluate new therapies

JDRF is addressing many of these objectives through our Advocacy agenda by:

• Collaborating with research partners to improve how we evaluate T1D therapies and equip stakeholders with relevant information
• Analyzing healthcare data to better comprehend and communicate about hypoglycemia and other unmet needs in T1D
• Proposing an expanded set of outcomes for evaluating T1D therapies, including measures like hypoglycemia

Last August, JDRF and many of our partners participated in an FDA-sponsored workshop on expanded outcomes in diabetes. The seminar showed that regulatory, patient and industry groups all share an appreciation of the importance of expanded outcomes and novel therapies that directly address the needs of people with diabetes, like avoiding hypoglycemia. Together, we can make ‘fear of the low’ a thing of the past.

Why This Matters

Relieving the fear of hypoglycemia will let everyone affected by T1D rest a little easier.

Get Involved

Become a JDRF advocate and help erase the threat of hypoglycemia in T1D.